Sujagi

{{Short description|Historical Korean military flag}} {{Infobox Korean name/auto |image=Sujagi (1871).jpg |caption=Sujagi captured in 1871 |hangul=수@자기 |hanja=帥字旗 }} The '''''sujagi''''' is a flag with the hanja {{lang|ko|帥}}, pronounced {{transliteration|ko|su}} in Korean, that denotes a commanding general. The whole term literally means, "commanding general flag". Only one ''sujagi'' is known to exist in Korea. The color is a faded yellowish-brown background with a black character in its center. It is made of hemp cloth and measures approximately 4.15m x 4.35m.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.donga.com/3/all/20071023/8503354/1|script-title=ko:신미양요 때 빼앗긴 어재연 장군기 '10년 장기대여' 귀환 : 뉴스|date=23 October 2007|publisher=|accessdate=1 May 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Sujagi.jpg|thumb|The captured Sujagi aboard USS ''Colorado'' in June 1871 during the United States expedition to Korea. In the foreground are United States Marines (from left to right) Corporal Charles Brown, Private Hugh Purvis, and Captain McLane Tilton.|330x330px]] [[File:1871sujagi.jpg|thumb|Captured ''Sujagi'' aboard USS ''Colorado''. From right to left: U.S. Marine Corporal Charles Brown, U.S. Marine Private Hugh Purvis, and the sailor on the left is believed to be Cyrus Hayden (U.S. Navy). All three were awarded the Medal of Honor.]]

==History== This type of flag was put in a fortress where a commanding general was located.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://museum.kma.ac.kr/museum/image/ama/ama081002.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-02-12 |archive-date=2011-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719031511/http://museum.kma.ac.kr/museum/image/ama/ama081002.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the case of the extant ''sujagi'' in Korea, it represented General Eo Jae-yeon who, in 1871, commanded the Korean military forces on Ganghwa Island, which is off the northwest coast of present-day South Korea, near the capital of Seoul. It was captured by the United States Asiatic Squadron in June of that year during the United States' expedition to Korea.<ref>{{cite book|title=Marine Amphibious Landing in Korea, 1871|url=http://www.navyhistory.org/marine-amphibious-landing-in-korea-1871/|date=1 January 1966|publisher=Naval Historical Foundation|author=Carolyn A. Tyson|accessdate=27 January 2015}}</ref> As with other war prizes, it was put into the collection of the museum at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hwang |first1=Jurie |title=American campaigns for flag's return |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/common/newsprint.php?ud=20100907000799 |access-date=29 September 2022 |publisher=The Korea Herald |date=29 October 2010}}</ref>

In October 2007, after many years of petitions by South Korea to the United States government, the flag was returned to South Korea on a long-term, ten-year loan.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chung Ah-young|title=General's Flag Returns Home From US|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2007/10/148_12340.html|access-date=27 January 2015|publisher=The Korea Times|date=22 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shinmiyangyo.org/SMYYfront/history/balt_sun_2007.html|title=Korean flag to be returned on loan basis|accessdate=27 January 2015|publisher=Baltimore Sun|author=Bradley Olson|date=11 October 2007}}</ref>

After being returned, it was displayed at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul until 2009, when it was moved to the Ganghwa History Museum on Ganghwa Island.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jung |first1=Jia H. |title=Repatriated flag runs out of time in Korea |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/09/177_336808.html |access-date=29 September 2022 |publisher=The Korea Times |date=27 September 2022}}</ref> As of September 2022, the lease had been renewed for the flag to stay in South Korea until at least October 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kwak |first1=Yeon-soo |title=Loan period extended for US-captured Joseon-era flag |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2022/09/199_337013.html |access-date=29 September 2022 |publisher=The Korea Times |date=29 September 2022}}</ref> thumb|Digital Variant

==References== *{{cite book|title=Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea |author=Duvernay, Thomas A.|year=2021|location=Seoul | publisher=Seoul Selection|asin=B08VR9FFL1 |pages=172–174}}

==Notes== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== * [http://www.shinmiyangyo.org/sujagireturn.html Sujagi Flag Return]

Category:Flags of Korea Category:Historical flags Category:Korea–United States relations Category:Ganghwa County