Campaign for Anti-Espionage (1972)

Today's stamp was issued in 1972 to promote the campaign for anti-espionage and victory over communism. The stamp design features the Korean flag and some Korean language characters set in a brick-like pattern that translates to "anti-espionage." My interest in this stamp is primarily due to the interesting topic than the design of the stamp itself. In some ways I actually find the design and color combination of this stamp to be mildly unattractive, but that is just me. Here are some of the details surrounding this issue:

• Date of Issue: 01 May 1972
• Scott Catalogue #: 819
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue #: C532
• Quantity Produced: 1,000,000

The official announcement of this stamp issue provided by the South Korean Ministry of Communication and found on the Korea Stamp Society website is as follows:

The Republic of Korea has designated may, 1972 as the month of anti-espionage and victory over communism in a stepped-up move to foil any north Korean communists' attempts to reinvade the republic and strengthen the nation's posture to achieve a victory over communism.During the month, various national campaigns will be carried out under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and Information. The republic is faced with unprecedented challenges posed by the recent local and international developments. 

On the one hand, Communist China was admitted to the United Nations. On the other, the communist in north Korea, ever bent on their aggressive scheme, have intensified their military preparations to communize the entire peninsula by force. To cope squarely with the critical situation, President Park Chung Hee declared a state of national emergency last December 6. While awaiting to seize what they call a decisive opportunity to reinvade the south, the north Korean communists have transformed the land in the north into a colossal military fortification and now are all out to produce arms and weapons in huge quantity. 

In addition to their 500,000 man regular armed forces, the communists have well-trained, well-equipped Workers and Farmers Red Guards of 1,400,000 men and women and 700,000 member Red Youth Guards. They are drilling even primary school children in military marksmanship. The communists, behind the facade of their acceptance of the Republic of Korea Red Cross proposal to hold talks to help locate and eventually reunite millions of families separated in the south and north, have been increasing their prevocations by infiltrating armed agents into the republic. 

This stark reality calls for the people of this republic to further reinforce its anti-espionage activities and renew its determination to win victory over communism not merely during the campaign month but beyond that period. 

In order to emphasize the importance of the campaign and thus help the nation to be better prepared to stave off north Korean espionage infiltrations and armed provocations and solidify the national unity and security stance against any eventuality, the Ministry of Communications is issuing this stamp.  

 The primary intelligence service in South Korea today is the National Intelligence Service, which has an interesting and colorful history, a part of which can be read about here.

Logo of the National Intelligence Service

Seal of the National Intelligence Service

The National Intelligence Service has been under a lot of scrutiny the past two years first following the North Korean attack on the South Korean naval vessel and now following the more recent North Korean artillery barrage against Yeonpyeong Island. However, this past week has been particularly hard on the National Intelligence Service as it came to light that several agents attempted (unsuccessfully) to surreptitiously enter the hotel room of a visiting Indonesian envoy and steal secrets from their computer's hard drives....Yes, a bit of egg on the face of the National Intelligence Service! The botched operation has been well publicized and many people are now calling for the director Won Sei Hoon to resign. The below picture of Won Sei Hoon was recently aired on Yonhap News.

Picture of Won Sei Hoon on Yonhap News

 
For those interested the National Intelligence Service maintains a website in english here. Below is a picture of the National Intelligence Service headquarters, which is located in Seoul.

National Intelligence Service Headquarters

The topic of this stamp issue is a fascinating one and I really enjoyed reading about the history of intelligence activities in South Korea. Who doesn't find espionage interesting?....

Until next time...

Campaign for National Tree Planting (1975)

Today's posting features four se-tenant stamps issued in 1975 to promote the campaign for national tree planting in South Korea. These four stamps attached together provide a nice panoramic nature scene that is pretty attractive in my opinion. I have seen these stamps when detached from one another and a bit of their beauty is lost when not viewed together and seen in context with one another. Here are some of the stamp particulars regarding this issue:

• Date of Issue: 20 March 1975
• Scott Catalogue #: 954a, 954b, 954c, 954d
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue #: C661, C662, C663, C664
• Quantity Produced: 1,250,000

At the time of issue the South Korean Ministry of Communications offered the below statement to mark the campaign for national tree planting (as listed on the Korea Stamp Society website):

The total area of forests in our country amounts to 6,641,000 chungbo, or 16,600,000 aces, accounting for as much as 67 percent of the whole territory of Korea. The climate and other natural features, which are suitable for forestation, provide us with an ideal opportunity to make Korea a prosperous forestry state. 

In reality, however, Korea depends on imports form overseas to meet most of the domestic demand for timber. In order to bequeath green forests to our posterity, the government established in 1973 a 10-year forestation plan, under which all the people of the county are to plant 10 kinds of seeding, including those for fuel and fruits and fast-growing and slow-growing ones, on a yearly, step-by-step basis. 

As we did last year, we have again designated the period form March 21 through April 20 as the National tree planting period to have all our people take part in the nationwide campaign by planting, and closely attending to, trees for the eventual realization of our dream of green forests.
Hoping that the 10-year forestation plan will be successfully implemented through the combined effort of both the government and people, the Ministry of Communications is issuing this special Stamp in commemoration of the second National tree planting campaign. 

In South Korea today, the country still celebrates and promotes tree planting in what is known as National Arbor Day (식목일). National Arbor Day falls on April 5th and is a day where people plant tree seedlings throughout the country. In the United States Arbor Day is typically celebrated the last Friday in April and is marked similarly by the planting of tree seedlings. As a child growing up in Los Angeles I can remember taking field trips to the Tree People and receiving a little pine seedling to take home and plant. I'm not sure how our schools in the U.S. mark Arbor Day today...truthfully I completely forgot we had an Arbor Day until looking at these South Korean stamps a bit closer and reading about the background of these stamps. I live in a fairly rural part of Central Virginia and one of the most beautiful sights are the trees in the fall. Absolutely stunning sight.

For the hardcore arborists out there or those who like me don't know much about Arbor Day and how it is marked in South Korea...here is a link to an article from last year's National Arbor Day: http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=45440

Until next time...

v/r
Beezer

American Philatelist (Feb 2011 Issue) ~ Korea in a Nutshell

Today's blog post features an article written by Bob Lamb for the Feb. issue of American Philatelist. One of my favorite sections of the American Philatelist is the "worldwide in a nutshell" article at the back of the journal. I usually take a sneak peek to see what country is covered first before I read from front to back. Much to my surprise this month the featured country is the Republic of Korea.

The article can be viewed in pdf format on the American Philatelic Society's website at: http://www.stamps.org/AP/Worldwide0211.pdf

The American Philatelist is a wonderful journal and this month's write-up on Korea made this issue extra special to me.

Until next time...

-Beezer

Encouraging Savings (1978)

Today's featured stamp was issued by the Republic of Korea in the spring of 1978. The design depicts two ants carrying coins and has Korean words in the bottom right which translates to "encouraging savings." There is something about this stamp that seems to catch my eye every time I'm flipping through my stockbook. Perhaps it is the giant ants depicted on it. I'm not sure, but I tend to like looking at this stamp. The details surrounding this stamp issue are as follows:

• Date of Issue: 01 April 1978
• Scott Catalogue #: 1129
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue #: C785
• Quantity Produced: 3,000,000

Ants have a well known reputation for being industrious and for hoarding resources for their ant colony, so it is pretty obvious why two ants were selected to be on a stamp encouraging savings. 

A look at this stamp issue on the Korea Stamp Society's website also includes the below announcement in blue made by South Korea's Ministry of Communication for this issue. If you haven't visited the Korea Stamp Society's website and you are a collector of Korean stamps then you are really missing out and need to visit us. Here's the description of this stamp released by the Ministry of Communication:

We are well aware that the only way to overcome numerous disasters such as diseases, damages, conflagrations and thefts which we are bound to encounter in the course of life, is to practice savings. 

It is all more obvious that without savings, we can hardly except to enjoy such comforts of life as affluent living, happy marriage and good education for our children. Not only are savings indispensable for everyone of us on an individual basis, but are also vital for the supply of investment funds required for the construction of a viable national economy. 

Owing to successful implementation of economic development plans for three consecutive periods, during the past 15years from 1962 through 1976, the Republic of Korea has achieved a remarkable economic growth in terms of quantity. For the 4th economic development-plan period, which was launched last year, a target has been set at the building of a stable welfare state in which all our people can enjoy a well-to-do life, with emphasis placed on national security and qualitative improvement of the national life, so that the nation can establish a self-sustaining national economy. 

A self-supporting economy means that all the investment funds required for economic growth be made available solely by the savings of the people. In the case of 1977, the 1st year of 4th Economic Develolment Plan, the savings of the people accounted for 24.8 percent, and overseas savings 0.6 percent, of the investment funds used, showing that a considerable part of investment funds was borne by national savings. The government plans to supply all investment funds through national savings by 1981, the last year of the 4th Plan period. 

On the occasion of observing the 2nd anniversary of the property formation savings system, on April 1, the Ministry of Communications issues a special postage stamp for encouraging savings for the purpose of promoting savings practice among the people, to help realize our common goal of individual affluence of all our people, and increased wealth and power of our country as a whole.

For those of us who are citizens of the United States the subject of savings (or a lack thereof) strikes near and dear and is being felt everywhere in this country. Our country would do well to not only release a new stamp issue encouraging savings, but our elected officials should be forced to keep an ant farm on their desks and in the chambers where they cast votes on how to spend taxpayer's dollars. Spending is out of control and if serious measures are not taken to rein spending back in our national debt will sink this country. For a very interesting breakdown of our national debt check out: http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Back to stamps...if you are aware of any stamps (U.S. or foreign) previously released to encourage savings send me an email and let me know. Thanks.

Until next time...

v/r
Beezer