In Korea, the poppy symbolizes fleeting beauty, peace, serenity, grace, and resilience, often appearing in art for its delicate charm, contrasting with Western links to remembrance or opiate-related sleep/death. While poppies represent natural beauty and balance, the Rose of Sharon (Mugunghwa) is South Korea's official national flower, symbolizing "eternal blossom" and deep affection, but poppies are used in memorials to evoke similar feelings of remembrance.
The Poppy in Korean Culture: A Symbol of Peace and Beauty
The poppy flower holds a significant place in Korean culture, symbolizing both fleeting beauty and serenity. While poppies are universally associated with remembrance and hope, in Korean tradition, they also represent grace and resilience.
The mugunghwa, or the rose of Sharon, is an object of deep affection. Meaning “eternal blossom that never fades,” it has been an important symbol of Korean culture for centuries. Ancient records show that even before the Gojoseon era (ancient Korean kingdom), the mugungwha was treasured as a “blossom from heaven”.
Poppies have long been used as a symbol of sleep, peace, and death: Sleep because the opium extracted from them is a sedative, and death because of the common blood-red colour of the red poppy in particular. In Greek and Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead.
In South Korea, poppy seeds are considered a narcotic because of their relation to opium and are therefore banned. While poppy seeds themselves don't contain opiates, they can be contaminated during the harvesting process. The contamination would come by way of the poppy plant's milky fluid, which does contain opiates.
Poppy seeds, or food products containing poppy seeds, including popular bagel seasoning blends, are illegal in South Korea.
South Korea's 52-hour work rule caps most employees' weekly working hours at 52, consisting of 40 standard hours plus 12 allowed overtime hours, aiming to reduce overwork, improve work-life balance, and boost productivity by ending excessively long workweeks previously common in the country. Implemented in phases for different company sizes, this law applies to a seven-day week, including weekends, and was a major revision to the Labor Standards Act, phasing in from 2018 to 2021 for most businesses.
The poppy is most famously associated with conflict. It is viewed as the 'flower of evil' in the East, while in the West it has become the flower that commemorates fallen soldiers, through the ancient Greek association with sleep and death.
For many Protestants and Unionists, the poppy is a symbol of respect for the war dead and also a potent symbol of their Britishness. By contrast, for many Catholics and Republicans it stands for empire, oppression and the British occupation.
The bloom of the common red poppy in the Holy Land is possibly what Peter had in mind when he wrote, “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls.” 1 Peter 1:24 It may also be “the flowers of the field” that Jesus referred to in Matthew 6:28.
Hibiscus syriacus, also known as the Korean rose, is the national flower of South Korea. The flower appears in national emblems, and Korea is compared poetically to the flower in the South Korean national anthem.
These symbols reflect the natural and cultural values of Korea. They are often depicted in paintings, embroidery, pottery, and architecture. These symbols are: the sun, clouds, mountains, water, pine trees, turtles, deer, cranes, bamboo, and the herb of eternal youth.
The most romantic flowers in South Korea that express deep love and affection include red roses, orchids, tulips, lilies, and carnations.
The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal has caused controversy in recent decades, with some—including British Army veterans—arguing that the symbol has been used excessively to marshal support for British military interventions and that public figures have been pressured to wear the poppies.
Also available through some Branches is the Legion's reusable black centre Poppy pin to affix your lapel Poppy. The lapel Poppy should be worn during the Remembrance period, from the last Friday in October until November 11.
The four plants, the plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamnoo, represent Korea's four seasons. They earned the name Sgunaja, which originally means 'the four gentlemen,' as the traits of the plants were vey much in line with the 'senbi' spirit.
Some people feel the red poppy has become too political, and that some politicians have used the powerful feelings it creates to justify war. Others refuse to wear poppies because they feel there is too much pressure put on people to wear them.
Many think her choice in 3 poppies is to honor her own family who served and lost their lives in WWI - Maurice Lupton, Lionel Lupton & Francis Lupton. Catherine would seemingly wear one poppy for each brother.
While the rosary is meant for prayer, wearing it isn't inherently disrespectful. In fact, wearing a rosary can serve as a constant reminder of your faith and the importance of prayer. However, it's crucial to remember that the rosary should be worn with reverence, not as a mere fashion statement.
How to wear your Poppy. The Legion's lapel Poppy is a sacred symbol of Remembrance and should not be affixed with a pin that obstructs the Poppy. The Poppy should be worn on the left side, over the heart.
The poppy has been a symbol of Remembrance for over 100 years. The poppy became a symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future in the aftermath of the First World War. Since 1921 our collectors have been at the heart of the Poppy Appeal.
Poppies have long been associated with remembrance and the resilience of life. Most notably, they are linked to remembering fallen soldiers, especially since World War I, after the publication of the famous poem "In Flanders Fields," where poppies grew on battlefields.
4B movement, South Korean feminist activist movement and political stance defined by four deliberate refusals: bihon (“no marriage”), bichulsan (“no childbirth”), biyonae (“no dating”), bisekseu (“no sex [with men]”).
The "3 date rule" in Korean dating refers to the common practice of deciding whether to become an official couple after the third date, moving quickly from casual "talking" (sseom) to an exclusive relationship, a faster pace than many Western cultures where dating remains casual for longer. It's an unwritten guideline where the first dates assess compatibility, and by the third, couples often establish commitment, sometimes with "couple items" or frequent communication. While still influential, younger generations (Gen Z) are sometimes moving away from this rigid timeline.
According to data from Statistics Korea on Monday, people in the country slept an average of eight hours and four minutes every night last year — some eight minutes less than in 2019, when the previous survey took place.