Support Open navigation menu. Close navigation menu.

Enjoying the Pins? Please Help us Keep the Museum Going.

The National Museum of American Diplomacy’s online exhibits, educational programs, and resources are made possible by the generous support of individuals. Online donations can be made through the Diplomacy Center Foundation, our private sector partner.

Peace Dove pin, designer Cecile et Jeanne, France; photographer John Bigelow Taylor.
Give Today

American Flag Pin

Pin Shown

  • Title American Flag

    Date 2000

    Designer Robert Sorrell, USA

    Materials Yellow Gold-Plated Base Metal, Glass Bead, Rhinestones

    Size 6.3" x 2.8"
    (16cm x 7.1cm)

Kim Jong-il

In no country are pins more crucial and less decorative than in North Korea. Every North Korean is required to wear an image of the country’s founder. Absence of this badge of adoration is a sign of independent political thought and cause for severe punishment. 

On a negotiating trip to Pyongyang, Albright dramatized her support for democratic values by wearing her American flag pin. Standing next to North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-il, she wore high heels; so did he.

Secretary Albright Kim Jong-Il
Secretary Albright stands next to Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo Credit: David Guttenfelder/Associated Press.