36th Anniversary of Liberation

Today's featured stamp was issued on 15 August 1981 to mark the 36th anniversary of the liberation from the 36 years of Japanese occupation. I added this stamp to my collection last month and upon studying the design a little more closely I'm kind of fond of this issue. In the grid-like background in red is "8-15" representing the day Korea gained independence from Japanese occupation and in yellow is "36" symbolizing the 36th Anniversary of independence from what was 36 years of occupation. Some of the details surrounding this issue include:

• Date of Issue: 15 August 1981
• Scott Catalogue #: 1253
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC)#: C896
• Quantity Produced: 4,000,000

In my research about this stamp issue I wasn't able to find many specifics about how this particular "Liberation Day" (15 Aug 1981) was celebrated; however, this holiday is typically marked with numerous events such as festivals, concerts, a presidential speech, the ringing of the "Boshingak Bell", flag waving, and other activities. The Korea Stamp Society website provides a fantastic description of this stamp issue at: http://www.pennfamily.org/KSS-USA/810815-1224.html

Depicted below are some pictures from past celebrations.

Ringing of the "Boshingak Bell"

If in South Korea and interested in learning more about Korea's liberation from the Japanese there is an "Independence Hall of Korea" that has a bunch of exhibits and statues dedicated to the liberation from Japanese occupation. Here's a link to the english website: http://www.i815.or.kr/html/en/introduction/introduction_01.html

Monument at the "Independence Hall of Korea"

Next time I find myself in Korea I might have to make a special trip to check out the independence hall. I asked my wife if she has ever visited the place and she has not, so maybe I'll have to take the whole family. Good stuff.

Until next time...

Christmas & New Year (1960)

Today's featured stamp and souvenir sheet is, very appropriately, from the 1960 Christmas & New Year issue. There were three different stamps and s/s issued to mark the holidays in 1960 and this one depicted, featuring the star of Bethlehem and a Korean sock, is my favorite of the three. In my collection are 2x souvenir sheets and 1x stamp. Here are the specifics for this issue:

• Date of Issue: 15 December 1960
• Scott Catalogue: 319
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): N11
• Quantity Produced: 50,000 s/s and 5,000,000 stamps

Merry Christmas

2nd National Skill Contest for Vocational High School Students

Today's stamp commemorates the 2nd National Skill Contest for Vocational High School Students in 1971. I own one copy each of the souvenir sheet and stamp for this issue. To my knowledge this is the first and only stamp to commemorate the National Skill Contest for Vocational High School students in Korea. Some of the details surrounding this stamp are as follows:

• Date of Issue: 20 Oct 1971
• Scott Catalogue: 802
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): C517
• Quantity Produced: 30,000 s/s and 2,000,000 stamps

There was not much information available on the internet regarding the 2nd National Skill Contest for Vocational High School Students held in 1971. Thankfully the Korea Stamp Society has a description of this stamp listed on its website (http://www.pennfamily.org/KSS-USA/711020-787.htm). Here is a small snippet of what the KSS site included on this issue:

The Second National Skill Contest for Vocational High School Students will be held for two days beginning October 20, 1971, under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Education. Th

is year, students are expected to compete in a total of 23 events: five in agriculture (general husbandry, sericulture, livestock, agricultural product processing and forestry) at the College of Agriculture, Seoul National University; 12 in engineering (machinery, lathe, welding, molding, wood processing, carpentry, metal plate, electronics, electricity, civil engineering, architecture and automobile repairing) at Seoul Technical High School; three in commerce (commercial art, abacus calculation and typewriting) and another three in home economics (cooking, sewing and knitting) at Seoul Girl`s Commercial High School. To take part in the contest are a total of 462 students who have been selected through preliminary contests in all provinces and major cities and thereby recommended by educational superintendents of respective areas. 

Today vocational training in South Korea is still an option for students, although it does not seem to be a common practice for high schoolers. The current President of South Korea, Lee Myung-Bak, has placed emphasis on expanding vocational schools in South Korea to build upon the country's manufacturing base. Below is a picture of President Lee Myung-Bak from back in March 2010 when he toured a vocational school in the outskirts of Seoul.

Perhaps the most interesting piece of information I discovered while researching the topic of this stamp was the Korean government's role in creating a vocational training center in Afghanistan at the Bagram Airbase. I knew South Korea was part of ISAF and had troops serving in Afghanistan, but I did not realize they created a vocational training center to help offer training to the Afghan people. Incredible. Here's a picture from the first graduation ceremony of the Korean Vocational Training Center (KVTC) held on 08 December in Bagram...for more information on the KVTC in Bagram I highly recommend checking out the following sites: http://www.cjtf101.com/en/regional-command-east-news-mainmenu-401/3784-inaugural-class-graduates-korean-vocational-training-center.html and http://www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-releases/korean-vocational-training-center-teachers-afghans-practical-skills.html

I'm always amazed at how much I can learn about a topic through studying Korean stamps. Today's topic was certainly no different...I really enjoyed myself and I'm happy to have this souvenir sheet and stamp in my collection as well.

Seoul Sejong Cultural Center

Today's stamp of the day was issued on 01 April 1978 to commemorate the historic opening of the Seoul Sejong Cultural Center. I obtained this stamp a few weeks back and the rainbow colors shown above really caught my eye. The design is fairly simple and straightforward, however, the use of bright colors in the folklore mask and violin makes this stamp an attractive one. Here are some of the specifics surrounding the stamp:

• Date of Issue: 01 April 1978
• Scott Catalogue: 1131
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): C784
• Quantity Produced: 3,000,000 stamps

The Seoul Sejong Cultural Center is the largest cultural and arts building in Seoul, Korea and is reportedly home to the largest pipe organ in Asia. The center includes an extensive network of theaters, conference halls, and other buildings where theatrical plays, music, and exhibits are featured throughout the year. Below is a picture of the Seoul Sejong Cultural Center.

I have visited Seoul, Korea several times, but sadly have never visited the cultural center. My wife reminded me that we went to a large bookstore across the street and passed by the center, but I have no remembrance of the center. Once my daughter gets a little older I'll be sure to take her here when we visit Seoul again. Korea is rich in art and culture and a future visit is a must!


v/r
Beezer

Centennial Birth of Dr. Albert Schweitzer in 1975

Today's featured stamps were printed in 1975 by the Republic of Korea's Government Printing and Mint Agency and depict Dr. Albert Schweitzer and commemorates the 100 year anniversary of his birth. I obtained these stamps earlier in the week and I must say I find these quite attractive as a block of four. For this issue there was not an accompanying souvenir sheet printed...just the stamps. The details for these four are below:

• Date of Issue: 14 January 1975
• Scott Catalogue: 928 (Olive), 929 (Bright rose), 930 (Orange), 931 (Teal)
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): C635, C636, C637, C638 (same color sequence as above)
• Quantity Produced: 1,250,000

I have to admit that prior to obtaining these stamps I knew very little about Dr. Albert Schweitzer; however, after some digging around on the internet I've discovered quite a bit about this talented individual. Dr. Albert Schweitzer was born in 1875 in the Province of Alsace-Lorraine in what was then part of the German Empire. Dr. Albert Schweitzer was an accomplished theologian, pianist & organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. Dr. Albert Schweitzer's strong Christian beliefs convicted him to dedicate his life to helping those in need where he ultimately was led to become a medical missionary in French Equatorial Africa (present day Gabon in West Africa) in 1913. Dr. Albert Schweitzer would go on to receive the Nobel Peace prize in 1952 in recognition for his philosophy "reverence for life" and for his work in establishing a hospital in present day Gabon. In later years Dr. Albert Schweitzer worked with Dr. Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell to campaign against nuclear tests and nuclear weapons. After becoming familiar with Dr. Albert Schweitzer's accomplishments during his life I have gained a desire to read more about this man and might see what biography's have been written on him. 

Since receiving this block of four stamps yesterday I've had a ton of fun admiring the stamps for their beauty and what I learned about the man depicted has altered the way I will look at these stamps in the future. This wraps up another night of great fun examining the stamps I've obtained for Korea. 

1975 State Visit of the President of Gabon to South Korea

Today's featured stamp issued by South Korea commemorates the 1975 official visit between former President Park Chung Hee and El Hadi Omar Bongo, the former President of Gabon. I currently only have the souvenir sheet in my collection and I'm still awaiting the opportunity to buy/trade for the stamp. Here are some details for this issue:

• Date of Issue: 05 July 1975
• Scott Catalogue: 981
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): C672
• Quantity Produced: 500,000 s/s

The history behind this state visit in 1975 is an interesting one. During this time period South Korea and North Korea were engaged in intense competition for diplomatic recognition and South Korea labored very hard for El Hadi Omar Bongo, the former President of Gabon, to visit Seoul and strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries. During El Hadi Omar Bongo's visit to South Korea it was reported that hundreds of thousands of Korean citizens gathered at the airport and lined the streets in a massive show of support and hospitality. Pictured below is a photo of Park Chung Hee and El Hadi Omar Bongo during the 1975 visit.

While researching this stamp issue and the background behind this visit my wife found an article that explained how diplomatic ties to Gabon was viewed with such pride that Kia Motors went on to name a van after El Hadi Omar Bongo...Most people are very familiar with the "Bongo" vans produced by Kia, but I'm willing to bet that very few knew they were named after the former President of Gabon. Very interesting indeed. Here's an advertisement for the Bongo van:

Fascinating stuff that I never would have learned without this beautiful souvenir sheet in my stock book....this brought me a lot of enjoyment! Fun indeed.

South Korea's Armed Forces Day

Depicted above is the souvenir sheet commemorating Armed Forces Day in the Republic of Korea (ROK). As a veteran of the U.S. military I have a soft spot for military themed stamps and I especially like this one. I added two of these souvenir sheets to my collection last month, but have yet to pick up a copy of the stamp. The specific details surrounding the souvenir sheet are as follows:

• Date of Issue: 01 October 1961
• Scott Catalogue: 329
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): C152
• Quantity Produced: 200,000 s/s

Armed Forces Day in the ROK is celebrated on 01 October, which is the anniversary of when ROK forces broke through the 38th parallel in 1950 during the Korean War. Today this special day is not a national holiday, but is a flag raising day where the ROK military is recognized and saluted. My wife, who was born and raised in Seoul, tells stories of how as a kid there would be large scale military parades conducted on this day and she recalls with fondness seeing members of the ROK military driving through the streets. I had several opportunities to train with members of the ROK Marine Corps while I myself served in the U.S. Marines and each time I came away extremely impressed by their military discipline and professionalism. Some of my most memorable experiences serving in the U.S. Marine Corps was training alongside members of the ROK Marine Corps in Pohang, Korea.

I really like the design of this stamp and believe the profile shot of a member representing each branch of service of the ROK military was a nice touch. I've already added several military themed Korean stamps to my collection, but for today this one gets all of the attention.

For more information about the ROK military check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_South_Korea

Until next time....

-Beezer

The New York World's Fair in 1964

Shown above is the souvenir sheet and stamps that commemorate South Korea's participation in the 1964 New York World's Fair. I added these items to my collection a few months ago and have enjoyed having them in my stockbook. The blue stamp depicts the Korean exhibit at the New York World's Fair and the yellow stamp depicts ginseng root paired with an unisphere and cargo ship. The specifics for these postal issues are as follows:

• Date of Issue: 22 April 1964
• Scott Catalogue: 432, 433
• Korean Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): C208, C209
• Quantity Produced: 50,000 s/s and 250,000 stamps

The 1964 World's Fair was one of the largest fairs to ever be held in the United States. The theme of the fair was "peace through understanding", which was symbolized by a 12-story high stainless steel model of the earth called "unisphere" - see image below. 

What makes South Korea's participation in the 1964 New York World's Fair significant is it was the first world fair South Korea participated in since the founding of the modern nation. South Korea was represented by over 360 people who traveled to New York to build its exhibit and following the fair many of these people stayed in Flushing, New York as immigrants and opened up shops and restaurants which flourished and today is home to one of the largest Korea Towns in the United States.

For those who can read Korean or who have a translation tool available I highly recommend reading the following article, which explains South Korea's participation in the fair in greater detail - http://ny.koreatimes.com/article/547609

I had a good time reading about the 1964 New York World's Fair and had I not added these Korean stamps and souvenir sheet to my collection I may never have gotten the chance to learn about this interesting historical event.

...learning about culture and history through Korean stamps and having a blast. Until next time.

v/r

Beezer

Dedication of the UNESCO Building in Paris in 1958

Shown above is the second stamp and souvenir sheet I added to my Korean stamp collection. This issue commemorates the dedication of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) building in Paris that was inaugurated on 03 November 1958. Here are some of the specifics for this stamp issue:

• Date of Issue: 03 November 1958
• Scott Catalogue #: 286
• Korean Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC): C119
• Quantity Produced: 5,000 s/s and 500,000 stamps

Depicted on the stamp is the main headquarters of UNESCO, which is located on the Place de Fontenoy in Paris, France. The UNESCO headquarters is noted for the architectural design of its buildings and sunken courtyards. Below is a satellite image taken from the UNESCO website of the main building that is depicted on the stamp and souvenir sheet.

The mission of UNESCO is to "contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information." For more information on UNESCO visit their web page at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/

Interestingly, South Korea became the 55th country to become a member of UNESCO having joined the organization on 14 June 1950. Following the Korean War, UNESCO contributed school books to South Korea and helped build a factory to produce other educational materials. Today South Korea serves as a model nation for UNESCO and is a very active member of the organization. For more information on South Korea's involvement in UNESCO visit the web page of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO at: http://www.unesco.or.kr/eng/front/unesco_kr/unesco_kr_02.asp

One of the things I appreciate the most about collecting stamps is the history that can be learned by studying the subject/topic of the stamp more closely. I learned a tremendous amount about the UNESCO (more than I could possibly cover in this post) that I would likely not have discovered had I not added this stamp and souvenir sheet to my collection. The beauty of the stamp coupled by learning about UNESCO brought me a lot of enjoyment.

Until next time...

-Beezer

6th Presidential Inauguration of Park Chung-Hee in 1967

Depicted above is the souvenir sheet (s/s) and postage stamp commemorating the 6th Presidential Inauguration of Park Chung-Hee. I purchased both of these back in October, 2010 in what was my first Korean stamp purchase. The design is an attractive one in my opinion and I credit the beauty and intrigue of the two as what led to my decision to become a collector of Korean stamps. Here are some of the noted specifics:

• Date of Issue: 01 July 1967
• Scott Catalogue #: 579
• Korean Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC) #: C-330
• Quantity Produced: 50,000 s/s and 1,000,000 stamps

A translation of the s/s from Korean into English reads:

Let us be able to answer proudly that we worked and worked hard with faith for the modernization of our country without hesitation when our descendants ask those of us living in this generation what we did for them and what kind of work we did for our country.


The story behind President Park Chung-Hee's rise to power is a fascinating one. For those not familiar with this controversial figure I recommend checking out his wikipedia page for a brief overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Chung-hee

History Behind South Korea's Modern Postal Service

Earlier this week I was surfing the internet and stumbled upon a fascinating article titled "Korea's first modern postal service began in 1884" written on 21 November 2010 by Robert Neff in The Korea Times. The article provides a brief overview of the history of Korea's postage stamps and postal service at the end of the 19th Century. The picture below was featured in the article and is of the Korean Postal Bureau, which reportedly started Korea's modern postal service.

Here's what Robert Neff wrote in the article:

Following its opening to the West in 1882, one of Korea’s first modernization attempts was the postal service. On April 22, 1884, the Korean Postal Bureau was established when Hong Yong-sik was appointed the Post Master General.

Beginning in June, Hong hired at least four former Japanese postal employees to act as advisors and assist setting up Korea’s postal system. These Japanese experts were guaranteed travel expenses, Sundays off, paid summer vacations and very lucrative salaries ― the senior advisor, Obi Sukeaki, received $130 a month.

There were Westerners as well, but their role in Korea’s postal system was minimal. Korea’s first Western advisor, Paul Georg von Mollendorff, a German, is often credited for having helped establish Korea’s postal service but in truth he appears to have taken very little, if any, direct involvement in its creation. The only real influence on the postal service he had appears to have been through the Korean Customs Department which he established. The Korean Customs Service was responsible for paying the wages of the postal employees and, Joseph Haas, an Austrian who served as the Commissioner of the Korean Customs Service in Seoul, negotiated the contract for Korea’s first postage stamps.

Korea’s first stamps were printed in Japan and were of five denominations: 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 “mun.” Nearly 2,800,000 stamps were ordered by the Korean government but only 15,000 stamps (5 and 10 mun denominations) had arrived when the first post offices were opened on Nov. 18, 1884 at Chemulpo and Seoul.

It is unclear how many Korean mailmen were employed or how much mail they carried. We do know that the initial mail pickup within Seoul was completed by 10 a.m. and then forwarded to Jemulpo and that an additional collection was made in the afternoon. We also don’t know who the customers were. Most of the early post office records were destroyed and no covers (postally used envelopes or postcards) with Korean stamps from this period still exist. Judging from the number of surviving cancelled stamps they were most likely Westerners residing in Jemulpo or the foreign legations in Seoul. They were most assuredly not the average Korean citizens.

According to the Korean postal regulations, letters mailed within Seoul and Jemulpo and weighing less than an eighth of an ounce cost 5 mun and those mailed between the two cities were 10 mun with an additional 10 mun added for every eighth of an ounce. This was fairly expensive when one considers that sending a package weighing an ounce, using first class postage, within the United States costs only 4 cents. A similar package mailed from Seoul to Chemulpo (only 26 miles away) would have costs 80 mun, or 8-10 cents (depending on the source, one dollar was worth 800-1,000 mun). An average American factory worker earned 5-20 cents an hour whereas a Korean laborer was lucky to make 20 cents a day.

On the evening of Dec. 4, 1884, a banquet was held at the post office in Seoul to celebrate the successful inauguration of Korea’s postal system. Ironically, it was this celebration that helped doom Korea’s postal system as well as other early modernizations.

Members of the diplomatic community and Korean government officials, including Mollendorff, were in attendance. Few of the Westerners were aware that this party was part of an elaborate plot to overthrow the pro-Chinese Korean court, dominated by the Min clan, and establish a new court that would be more progressive and pro-Japanese. Chief amongst the conspirators in attendance were Hong Yong-sik, the host of the party and leader of the conspiracy; Pak Yong-hyo, the conspiracy’s director of operations; and Kim Ok-kuin who was responsible for contact between the conspirators and the Japanese legation and planning the coup. In addition to the conspirators were their foes, three conservative Korean ministers: Prince Min Yong-ik, head of the pro-Chinese Min clan; Yi Cha-yon and General Han Kyu-sik.

Just before 10 p.m., a small building near the post office was set afire luring Min Yong-ik out into an ambush. An assassin severely wounded him but he managed, bleeding profusely, to stagger back into the building. By the end of the night the conspirators had gained a tentative control of the Korean government.

Despite the great confusion and excitement that filled the streets of Seoul, work went on as usual at the post office in Seoul until the afternoon of Dec. 6. Alarmed at the increasing number of Chinese soldiers in the streets and rumors of battle at the palace, the postal employees, Korean and Japanese, abandoned the post office. Over the next couple of days the post office buildings were ransacked and, except for the main hall, were burned by angry mobs of Koreans.

The ill-fated “Gapsin” Coup lasted a mere three days but its toll was heavy. Many of the conservatives and their foes, the reformers, including Hong Yong-sik died in the fighting or were later executed. Not only was the postal service destroyed and discontinued but so too were Seoul’s first newspaper ― the Hanseong Sunbo ― and the three photograph studios in the capital ― all vilified as Western modernizations and pro-Japanese.

The destruction caused by the Gapsin Coup did prove beneficial to Ensign George C. Foulk, an American naval officer attached to the American legation in Seoul, and stamp collectors around the world.

When Korea declared its intention to establish its own postal system, stamp collectors around the world took interest in these “very artistic stamps.” As mentioned earlier, only about 15,000 stamps were in Korea, and out of that number only about 500 were sold and used. What became of the remainder? An examination of Foulk’s personal correspondences provides us with a clue.

On Dec. 20, 1884, he wrote:

“I enclose you four postage stamps of the late destroyed Korean Post Office. Let Ed take them to Scott’s Stamp Store on Broadway and try to sell them. But he must not sell them if he cannot get at least $30 apiece for them, and he ought to strike higher than that even; perhaps $30 for each stamp. Such stamps will never again be issued, and never were good out of Korea; were for use in Seoul and from there to Chemulpo. There are very few in existence. Only two kinds were issued, 5 and 10 pun (or mun) respectively; that is ½ cent and 1 cent about, in English money....Hong was the head of the Korean Post Office system. It had only been in existence a few days when this trouble broke out in Seoul. Hong was murdered, the office gutted, and now comes a royal edict that the Post Office is utterly abolished. The stamps certainly ought to be very valuable to the “friends,” and you must not let them go for any sacrifice.”

But those were not the only stamps. In July 1885, he acquired another 15,000 stamps that he “bought for $3.00 from a wretch who could give no account of how he got them. I meant to return them to the Korean government if it opened a new Post Office, but since then I have learned it will have an entire issue of new stamps if an office is opened, and ignores the old and first issue as the handiwork of the conspirators. Under the circumstances I am going to pocket the pool.”

Foulk was not the only one to see the potential profit to be made. In early 1885, the final shipment of 1,300,000 stamps (25, 50 and 100 mun) previously ordered from Japan arrived. The Korean government, much to its annoyance, was forced to pay for these unwanted stamps. In an effort to recoup its money, the Korean government sold the stamps to E. Meyers & Co., a German trading firm in Chemulpo, in early 1886. Apparently not all the stamps were sold to the company as evidenced by Foulk’s letter to his family in March 1886:

“These are of a lot which arrived in Korea after the Post Office was destroyed and abolished. That is they have never been in postal use in Korea. They complete the issue originally intended by this defunct P.O. The whole lot of stamps, 1,300,000, has been bought by a German firm for $500. They will make a speck or two out of the postage stamp cranks.”

E. Meyer & Co., did “make a speck or two” but they weren’t the only ones. The Korean government also made a small profit. The entire cost of manufacturing and transporting the 2,800,000 stamps was only about $390.

It wasn’t until 1895 that Korea again established a domestic postal system. This was followed by an international mail service in 1900. Unlike the initial postal system of the Joseon period, South Korea’s modern postal service is very inexpensive (domestic rates are nearly half that of the United States) and has nearly 43,000 full time employees (2007). Korea’s initial failure is now an enviable success

The original  article can be accessed at: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/11/113_76706.html

Korea Stamp Collector: An Introduction

So why a blog about postage stamps from South Korea?

As my passion for collecting stamps from South Korea has continued to grow and grow the past few months, some might call it an addiction, I began to explore ways I could increase the enjoyment I've found in collecting Korean stamps and eventually settled on the idea of starting a blog on the topic. My intent is to blog about anything and everything having to do with Korean postage stamps and postal history. I am not an expert in this field by no means, but enjoy the subject and hope to further my knowledge on the topic and fill this blog with information that will not only be of interest to me, but of interest to others out there who collect stamps from South Korea.

If you, the reader, share a similar interest in Korean postage stamps and postal history please leave a comment! I would love to hear from you.