A new standard government logo was unveiled Tuesday with the aim of promoting a unified government identity.

The new taegeuk logo, featuring blue, red and white — three symbolic colors of the Korean national flag will replace the current logo in the shape of the mugunghwa national flower, which has been used since 1988. It will be also replace individual logos used by more than 750 ministries and government –affiliated organization

“Since the late 1990s, government ministries and organization have developed their own logos and changed every time the government reshuffled its structure,” said Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Kim Jong-deok at a news conference on Tuesday.

 “It was a waste of government budget and administrative work. conference. They also lacked consistency in design, and therefore hardly recognized by citizens.”

Fifty-one government ministries and some 700 government organizations will be required to use the standard logo soon after the new rule for the use of the government logo is announced sometimes in March. The new logo will be used in signs, banners and office supplies with relevant government organization names in a newly developed font.

The interior Ministry expects it would cost  total of 6 billion won ($5 million) to change the logos, in addition to 500 million won put into developing the new logo design and font.

“it will be done in stages. We expect that expenses will offset the future spending in developing nd using different logos,” said Kim Sung-Iyul, vice minister of the interior Ministry, at the press conference.

According to the Interior Ministry, government ministries and organizatios have spent from 30 million won to 120 million won in developing theirs logos. In 2008, 18 ministries and organizations created ne logos, and 15 agencies christened new logos in 2013 (wylee@heraldcorp.com)

The source : The Korea Herald, March 16, 2016