Flag of the Soviet Union statute on the flag was adopted which resulted in a change of the hammer's handle length and the shape of the sickle. A final modification to the flag was adopted in 1980 in which the colour was brightened to a lighter shade of red. The flag continued to be the official national flag until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its imagery is now the basis for the flags of many communist parties: a yellow hammer and sickle on a red background. The flag of the Soviet Union consisted of a plain red flag with a gold hammer crossed with
Order of the National Flag or economic work. It is also awarded to officers of the Workers' Party of Korea for longstanding service (25 years for the first class, 20 years for the second class and 15 years for the third class). Those who are awarded the title of or are always awarded with the Order of the National Flag as well, as are laureates of . Recipients of the Order of Freedom and Independence receive the Order of the National Flag of the same class, but recipients receive the Order of the National Flag in a lower class. Recipients have the right to use