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Korean People's Navy (North Korea)

Obverse

image by Miles Li, 03 November 2014

Reverse

image by Miles Li, 05 February 2013

Description
Previously Reported Variant

See also:

Description

Divided horizontally, the top half is red with a symbol in the middle (more on that in a sec), and the bottom half is made up of four blue and three white stripes, with the white stripes being roughly half the height of the blue. The symbol in the center of the red portion shows a red star over a blue wavy ocean, with 10 or 11 yellow rays emanating from the water upward and outward toward the edge of the circle behind the star. This scene is within a red circle, which is within a white circle, within a blue circle, similar to the KPAAF roundel.
Randy Young, 09 February 2005

Note that the blue at the bottom is as wide as the blue at the bottom of the national flag; the two blue and two white stripes are as wide as the white stripes on the national flag.
Miles Li, 11 February 2005

Note that the naval emblem should have a full wreath, and be topped by a foul anchor. The mottoes read: "The Unification and Independence of the Motherland" (top) and "For the Freedom and Liberation of the People" (bottom).
Miles Li, 11 December 2011

The unit names are written in Hangul on the reverse side. All the colours have yellow fringes, cords and tassels, and are borne on red flagpoles with brass spearhead finials.
Miles Li, 07 November 2012

Here are my further improved flag images of North Korean military flags. The Hangul writings are improved, and in the case of the Air Force flag, the colour of the stripes are corrected.
Just to avoid ambiguation - The mottoes read: "The Unification and Independence of the Motherland" (top) and "For the Freedom and Liberation of the People" (bottom).
The hangul writings read: "Korean Worker's Party's Revolutionary Armed Forces" (top), "Korean People's Army No. 425 Unit" (bottom).
The "425" refers to April 25, 1932, the day of the Korean People's Army's foundation. On this photo the parade featured numerous Army flags, all bearing the No. 425 Unit designation. Very strange.
Miles Li, 04 & 05 February 2013

Oops... I didn't even get the hangul of Kim Jong-Il's name right! (Prease forgive me, dear leader...)
Since these 'new type' flags attached here bear the name of the late leader, the North Korean military is apparently reverting to the 'old type' flags described sometime ago.
Miles Li, 22 December 2014

The upper one reads: "Revolutionary leaders headed by great comrade Kim Jong Il" The lower one reads: "Let's defend them to the death!"
The same Hangul inscription appears on the other military flags. They are exactly same as the inscriptions appeared in the images of previously reported variants.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 December 2014

Previous Flag Variant

image by Miles Li, 04 November 2014

White over blue with two blue stripes charged with navy emblem towards hoist. Hangul inscription in yellow on blue stripes:

Revolutionary leaders headed by great comrade Kim Jong Il
Let's defend them to the death!

The date "4.25" in yellow in the upper hoist; Apr 25th is the memorial day of the foundation of a forerunner of the Korean People's Army, the People's Revolutionary Army (founded on Apr 25th 1932).
Reverse: national flag with yellow fringe and Workers Party of Korea emblem towards hoist instead of the red star. Same Hangul inscription as above 2 and without "4.25"
Source: video footage of 2003 North Korean military parade in Pyonygang
Nozomi Kariyasu, 21 Sep 2009

The Hangul writings mean: "Revolutionary leaders headed by great comrade Kim Jong Il" (top) "Let us defend them to the death!" (bottom).
My apology to Jaume Olle for superseding his flag images - the Hangul writings need to be fixed. And my apology to Nozomi Kariyasu - I have doubt about the existence of the reverse side variant with the abovementioned mottoes, since I have not seen any photo evidence of that.
Miles Li, 06 February 2013