Korean Kite (Bangpae yeon) Research

"Korean kites are the only kites in the world traditionally made with a hole in the center, and because of their symmetrical design, they can be flown with all sides acting interchangeably as top and bottom." the rectangular korean shield kite is made from five bamboo sticks and covered with traditional mulberry paper. it is always in the strict proportion of two by three and has a circular hole in the center, with a diameter half the width of the kite. the hole functions as an efficient air control device. four of the five bamboo spars - one vertical, two diagonal, and one horizontal intersect at the hole. the bow line is tied to the fifth spar, across the top of the sail, and is tensioned to give the kite its convex face. although most korean kites have the same shape, they come in different sizes, and use different colors and imagery in the decoration of the sail. many feature bright colors, usually red, blue, yellow, white, and black, and simple shapes, such as circles, half-moons, or stars. others are decorated with images as bats, butterflies... or are inscribed with the four chinese characters ‘song aek young bok’, believed to shield the flier against bad luck and help to get rid of evil spirits.

- from <seoul design essence> by designboom