The symbolism of red and blue colors as a reflection of the national mentality of Koreans (based on the material of Korean proverbs)

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This article discusses two chromatic colors – red and blue, which are included in the system of basic colors according to the ancient Chinese theory of Yin – Yang and the five elements. The subject of our research is the above two colors in Korean traditional culture. The linguistic and cultural analysis of color meanings in Korean proverbs makes it possible to determine the universal and specific features of the linguistic picture of the world, representing the historical, cultural, and social experience of one people accumulated as a result of its development. The research centers on Proverbs, idioms with colors 붉다 [bulkta] / 홍 [hong] (紅) (red), 푸르다[p ureuda] / 청 (靑) [cheong] (blue). In this article, we use the names of colors of Korean / Chinese origin, since there are different spellings of color meanings in proverbs. By studying color as an important category of cognition of the world, one can see how it affects people's social, religious, moral, emotional and interpersonal relationships. The work uses a descriptive method necessary for the classification and generalization of linguistic material, linguistic and cultural analysis to interpret the information obtained, revealing the mentality, traditions and customs of the people. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the systematic description and definition of the symbolism and meaning of color in culturally significant texts in the Korean language. The analysis of the color values "red" and "blue" in the Korean tradition, namely in the paremias, made it possible to identify their harmonious combination as one whole organism corresponding to the Yin –Yang system, as well as to highlight their contrasting position. This study reveals the peculiarities of the national linguistic picture in terms of reflecting the Korean people's ideas about color as a universal category, but having its own specifics. The results of this study will help to form a stable understanding of the mental beliefs that influence the scenario and mechanism of thinking, and as a result, the national culture, which determines the originality of the mental and linguistic organization of national consciousness.