We study a manuscript that includes 28 oriental constellations in the flags of barracks in Gangjin. According to the Joseon Chronicles, the constellation flags in the manuscript are thought to have originated from Seon-Pil Kim (金善弼) who first made 28 constellation flags for the barracks in 1878 during the Joseon Dynasty. Seon-Pil Kim was a commander and he used the 28 constellation flags for communications in a military camp. The flags also contain 28 animals and letter-like symbols with constellation maps. We examine the constellation maps in flags in terms of shapes and number of stars, and compare them with those of constellations in the Korean and Chinese star charts such as CheonSangYeolChaBunYaJiDo (天象列次分野之圖), Joseon-Butienge (朝鮮步天歌), Suzhou (蘇州) Star Chart, and Tang-Butiange (唐步天歌). Finally, we found that the shape of constellations in the flags might be similar to those in the Chinese Tang-Butienge. We also found several errors such as the shape, connecting pattern, and number of constellations drawn in the flags. It seems that the constellation flags were unofficially used in military camps in the late Joseon dynasty. Meanwhile, the 28 constellations are divided into four groups and each group has its own color and direction. We suppose that the constellation flags might represent the positions of military camps and each group of flags has their own color based on their cardinal points.
Gaecheonjeol is the National Foundation day of Korea when people hold a harvest ceremony. Nowadays, two representative harvest ceremonies of Korea are performed at Mt. Mari (摩利山) and Mt. Taebaek (太白山) on Gaecheonjeol (October 3rd). We study 28 flags with constellations appearing in the ceremony of Mt. Taebaek. These flags are lying in the outer of the circular stone wall during the ceremony. They represent an oriental heavenly star chart. We examine the shape, the connecting-pattern, the name, and the number of constellations drawn in the flags, and find several errors, such as, a wrong position, a typo of name, an irregular size, an omission, and so forth. Traditionally, the 28 oriental constellations are usually divided into four groups and each group has its own colour for each direction: Blue (E), Black (N), White (W), and Red (S). For the constellation flags in Mt. Taebaek, the colour of the flags is painted based on geographical directions, but the constellations are arranged followed by the direction of the celestial sphere. Thus, constellations in the northern and southern parts are counterchanged. Finally, we suggest some possible criteria for constellation map of the flags in this paper. CheonSangYeolChaBunYaJiDo (天象列次分野之圖) and CheonMunRyuCho (天文類抄) can be essential references for correcting constellations drawn in the flags of Mt. Taebaek.