The national great seal is used on important national documents. Consequently, the stamping of the Guksae is the final step of a national undertaking. It thus makes history, so to speak. The national great seal symbolizes national authority, power, and culture.

The government adopted the new national great seal on February 1, 1999, to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea and to reflect the cultural heritage.

The handle of the new national great seal is a modernistic sculpture of a pair of phoenix about to take flight with a rose of Sharon, the national flower, in its beak. It symbolizes the wish for Korea to become a central nation in the world in the 2000s, with national fortunes rising like the flight of the phoenix. The Korean letters for the Republic of Korea are carved in Hangeul in honor of King Sejong the Great, who had his scholars develop Hangeul.

Size and Shape

It is made of 18k gold and weighs 2.15 kilograms. It is 10.1 centimeters square and 10 centimeters tall. The handle is in the shape of a pair of phoenix about to take flight with a rose of Sharon in its beak. Lettering is in Hangeul. The face of the seal is patterned after the seal used by King Sejong the Great (r.1418-1450) of the Joseon Kingdom.

Though the inviolable authority and sacredness of the national great seal have faded since the days when Korea was under monarchs who needed the royal seal to rule, its symbolic importance remains. The government still stamps the Guksae on such documents as the Constitution, certificates of national decorations, appointments of government managerial officials, diplomatic credentials, and important diplomatic papers.