Obangsaek

Obangsaek
	The five cardinal colors of the traditional Korean color spectrum
Korean name
Hangul	오방색
Hanja	五方色
Revised Romanization	Obangsaek
McCune–Reischauer	Obangsaek

The traditional Korean color spectrum, also known as Obangsaek (오방색, means five-orientation-color), is the color scheme of the five Korean traditional colors of white, black, blue, yellow and red.^[1]^[2] In Korean traditional arts and traditional textile patterns, the colors of Obangsaek represent five cardinal directions:^[1]Obangsaek theory is a combination of Five Elements and Five Colours theory and originated in China.

Five orientations

Blue: east
Red: south
Yellow: center
White: west
Black: north

These colors are also associated with the Five Elements of traditional Korean culture:^[1]

Blue: Wood
Red: Fire
Yellow: Earth
White: Metal
Black: Water

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "The Five Cardinal Colors of Traditional Patterns". AsianInfo.org. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
^ Yoo, Jee-ho (3 May 2013). "Pyeongchang unveils emblem for 2018 Winter Olympics". Yonghap News Agency. Retrieved 29 April 2015.

[asianinfo-1] "The Five Cardinal Colors of Traditional Patterns". AsianInfo.org. Retrieved 29 April 2015.

[2] Yoo, Jee-ho (3 May 2013). "Pyeongchang unveils emblem for 2018 Winter Olympics". Yonghap News Agency. Retrieved 29 April 2015.

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