예멘소식 KOREA - YEMEN CENTER NEWSLETTER No.1

Let me at the outset congratulate the Korea-Yemen Center in this auspicious occasion of publishing its first Newsletter, a remarkable feature activity to introduce Yemen - its culture and heritage, economy etc. - to the Korea people and help consolidate and enhance Yemeni-Korean relations. I hope this Newsletter will flourish and develop to be an acknowledged source of information on our resourceful country - for the ordinary person as well as for the business and cultural communities as the bilateral relations between the Republic of Yemen and the Republic of Korea continue to develop and prosper for the mutual interest of our two peoples and countries.

Yemen and Korea have their similar characteristics as unique features. Covering a history and civilizations for thousands of years they are bound to beneficially share experience and construct a productive partnership in today's world of interdependence and "segyehwa". Since its reunification five years ago, Yemen has been striving to build a free, democratic, market-economy system. For foreign investment it offers boundless potential for which it enacted benevolent laws of merits and incentives especially with the new five-year development plan 1996-2000. For researchers of history and culture as well as tourists there is ample opportunity in Arabia-Felix, the Land of Sheba and the origin of Mocha coffee. There is also a lot to gain from the Land of Morning Calm and the "Miracle on the River Han."

I wish you every success in your endeavors and I am confident of a more expanded and sustained cooperation between our countries in the coming years.

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Introduction to National Flag

Korean National Flag (Taegukki)		Taegukki is the symbol of thought, philosophy and mysticism of Koreans through 5,000 years of history. The flag has a circle in the center and bars in the 4 corners, divided equally & in perfect balance. The upper red section represents the positive element of nature "Yang"and the lower blue, the negative element, "Um", thus comprising the whole universe. These two opposites harmonize the dualim of the cosmos, fire and water, day and night, light and darkness, masculine, plus and minus, active and passive, in a word the cosmos is composed of "positive and negative".In another word the cosmos is keeping the constant movement toward the eternity in balance and harmony. Each bar group stands for its own meaning, 3 bars on the upper left stands for Heaven, 5 bars on the lower right, for Earth, 4 bars on the lower left for Fire and 5 bars on the upper right for Water.
Yemeni national Flag		The flag, which is rectangular in shape, consists of three equal parts coloured in red, white and black. The red, at the upper end, symbolizes the revolution. The white, in the middle, stands for the purity of the principles of the revolution and the people's love for peace ; while the black, at the lower end, signifies the dark and despotic rule of the past.

Forward	Congratulations on the Newsletter
Korea - Yemen Center	Introduction to Korea - Yemen Center
Korea - Yemen Center	National Flag of Korea and Yemen