Salute to the national flag

Kukgi-e daehan ye (국기에 대한 예, Revised Romanization Gukgi-e daehan ye) is the «salute to the national flag» in Korean kumdo. It is the first of the five courtesies (ye) listed in the etiquette texts of Korean kumdo associations.

• When: at the start and at the end of training (suryeon, 수련). The Korea Kumdo Association (대한검도회) says every dojang (도장) has the national flag on display.
• How: standing in a correct posture, the practitioner places the right hand, fingers together, on the left side of the chest (official manual of the Association).
• Meaning: the Association says that practitioners think of the patriots who died for the country and pledge loyalty to the nation.

It is one of the three courtesies of the dojang (도장삼례, dojangsamnye): the salute to the flag, the courtesy to the teacher (seonsaengnim-e daehan ye, 선생님에 대한 예) and the courtesy between training partners (sangho ganui ye, 상호 간의 예). In the official manual, the teacher is greeted with a bow of about 30 degrees at the waist and a training partner with about 15 degrees.

The five-courtesy list in the etiquette texts also includes the courtesy to the dojang (dojang-e daehan ye) on entering and leaving, and the courtesy to disciples and juniors. A Japanese source reporting an interview with a Korean practitioner lists saluting the flag among the formal differences of kumdo.