Korea's Advance to Antarctica (1987)

Today's post highlights a stamp issued in 1987 to commemorate South Korea's exploration of Antarctica. Featured on the stamp is a South Korean explorer, a map of Antarctica, and a small base camp with three penguins. I'm not a topical collector, but I know there are some who collect stamps with penguins and I found myself wondering whether this stamp is sitting in someone's penguin collection somewhere. Maybe not, but it did cross my mind. This stamp issue did not come with a souvenir sheet....just the stamp. Here are some details:

• Date of Issue: 28 November 1987
• Scott Catalogue #: 1504
• Korea postage Stamp Catalogue (KPC)#: C1153
• Quantity Produced: 3,000,000 

The Korea Stamp Society includes a description of this stamp made by the South Korean Ministry of Communications at the time of issue:

Antarctica, which covers the continent and islands surrounding the South Pole, is an attractive frontier of today's world, with a vast amount of natural resources including coal and petroleum and also of marine sources such as whales and krill in the seas around it.

A turning point in our interest in Antarctica was made when a group of our scientists landed there and made observations and explorations from November 6 to December 9, 1985. It was thus that a way was opened for Korea to participate in a future exploration of the Antarctica resources, if it comes about, and to join the Antarctic Treaty nations. On November 28, 1986, as a result, Korea was able to become a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, as the 33rd member country. It is expected that Korea's signing of the Antarctic Treaty will serve to highten not only our national pride as the host country the 1988 Seoul Olympics but our nations enterprising spirit of advancing out to the oceans as well.

The Ministry of Communications issues this postage stamp in commemoration of the meaningful event of our becoming a signatory power to the Treaty.

 

If you are like me and don't know much about Antarctica and the exploration treaty that was formed...check out the wikipedia page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System

That's all for today...Have a great weekend!!!

-Beezer