Korean Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC)

Today's post is on the Korean Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC). For collectors of Korean stamps there is no better catalogue out there and I would go as far as to say that owning this catalogue is almost mandatory. My wife picked me up a copy of this catalogue while in Seoul last summer (~ $30) and at the time I was not yet decided on whether I wanted to specialize in collecting Korean stamps or not. Well needless to say after spending a week or so flipping through the catalogue and getting acquainted with the variety of stamp issues for South Korea I decided I was going to focus on this country.

While I do not necessarily use this catalogue as a price guide (one needs to convert from won to dollars if they do), I do rely on it heavily for details about the stamp issue and I use it as my checklist for what I own and what I still need to hunt for.

The pros to this catalogue is it depicts EVERY stamp that has been issued so you are able to clearly see color variations and stamp designs. One of my biggest problems with the Scott Catalogue is they only depict a small overall percentage of stamps issued, which makes identification difficult at times. Another thing I like about this catalogue is there are small empty squares beside the price, which is perfect for use as a checklist. For me I fill in the square if I have the stamp already and the remaining empty ones are the issues I still need to track down. The size of the catalogue is also convenient and allows for one to easily carry it around without being burdened by the size and weight.

The only con some people might find with this catalogue is the bulk of the written text is in Korean (understandably) and requires the use of a translator. I own an electronic pocket translator (SHARP PW-5300) that I rely on for this task.

For those who do not own a copy of this catalogue, but are interested in learning more about the stamps that South Korea has issued over the years...don't fret. The Korea Stamp Society (KSS) has indexed all of the issues by year and have included detailed information for each stamp! You can visit the KSS page here. If you are a collector of Korean stamps and are not yet a member please consider becoming one.

Cheers!

Relics from the Tomb of King Munyong (1972)

Today's post features two stamps issued in 1972 depicting relics excavated from the tomb of King Munyong. On the left is a gold ornament from the King's crown and on the right are a pair of gold earings. I don't recall exactly when I added these two stamps to my collection; however, I do know that they were included in a larger lot that I purchased from an auction site. The specifics surrounding this issue are:

• Date of Issue: 10 May 1972
• Scott Catalogue #: 822 (stamp on left); 821 (stamp on right)
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC) #: C534 (stamp on left); C535 (stamp on right) 
• Quantity Produced: 1,000,000 each

Below is the press release provided by the South Korean Ministry of Communication at the time of this stamp issue. This information was made available by the Korea Stamp Society on its website.

The Ministry of Communications is issuing two special postage stamps featuring two prominent articles selected from 2,500 items of relics unearthed virtually intact from the tomb of King Munyong of Paekche, who reigned from 501 to 523.

These priceless historical relics were discovered in July 1971 during the excavation of the royal tomb situated at Keumsong-dong (Songsan-ri), Kongju, Chungchong Namdo. Kongju, which was the capital of the Paekche Kingdom for 63 years beginning 475, is the seat of six ancient tombs of Paekche, which have been officially designated together as the National Historical Remains No. 13.

The discovery that brought to light the brilliance of the old Korean culture of nearly 1,500 years ago marked the most remarkable archaeological gain since the liberation in 1945. As such, it has aroused unusual interest among scholars as well as the general public at home and abroad. 

1. Gold Crown Ornament These gold ornament of a crown by King Munyong are elaborately designed in the shape of flowers and leaves, measuring 14,2cm in diameter and 29cm in height. 

2. A Pair of Gold Earrings Also worn by King Munyong, each of these earrings has two pendants one made up of gourd-shaped ornaments and comma-shaped jades, and the other decorated with a heart-shaped gold plate.  

As a child I always dreamed of growing up to be an archaeologist or a sort of treasure hunter in the likes of an Indiana Jones. While I have grown up to be neither, I do have an interest and appreciation for those who spend their time and resources uncovering artifacts from the past. Were it not for the work of archaeologists and others we would not be able to understand and appreciate the rich history of different cultures. I personally do not find much beauty in this particular stamp set; however, I am fascinated by the topic of the stamps and can imagine how exciting it must have been to unearth these priceless treasures! 

Photo of the ornament recovered from King Munyong's Tomb

Photo of the earrings recovered from King Munyong's Tomb

The Tomb of King Munyong was nominated in 1994 for inclusion as a World Heritage Site; however, to date it appears it has not made the list. Below are a couple pictures of the tomb.

Front entrance of King Munyong's Tomb

Inside view of King Munyong's Tomb

I had a lot of fun pulling these stamps out of my stock book this morning and reading up on King Munyong's Tomb. Fun stuff. Until next time...

State Visit of the Emperor of Ethiopia (1968)

Today's featured stamp was issued in 1968 to commemorate the official state visit of Haile Selassie, the former leader of Ethiopia, to South Korea. Featured on the stamp are portraits of Haile Selassie and former South Korean President Park Chung Hee. I added the above stamp and souvenir sheet to my collection last summer and currently have a second MNH souvenir sheet available for anyone interested in a trade. I like the design of this stamp and give the color combination a thumbs up. As for the stamp specifics they are as follows:

• Date of Issue: 18 May 1968
• Scott Catalogue #: 601
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue (KPC) #: C343
• Quantity Produced: 1,000,000 stamps; 100,000 souvenir sheets

The stamp description provided by the South Korean Ministry of Communication and listed on the Korea Stamp Society website is as follows:

His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie 1, Emperor of Ethiopia, will visit the Republic of Korea for three days at the invitation of His Excellency President Chung Hee Park, from 18 May 1968. H.I.M. Selassie`s historic state visit to Korea reaffirms the traditional bonds of friendship between the two countries, and it will serve to further cement mutual understanding and spirit of cooperation over various matters of mutual concern.

We Korean people will always be grateful to the Ethiopian people for their coming to our aid to help us defend freedom and justice during Korean war. The friendship shown by the noble sacrifice of their precious blood for the defense of freedom on this soil shall be long cherished in our heart. The state visit of H.I.M. Selassie will surely bring the two countries even closer together in our common efforts toward national development and prosperity. 

The Ministry of Communications issues a commemorative postage stamp to mark this historic occasion and it joins with the people in extending to H.I.M. their wholehearted welcome and praying that His Imperial Majesty`s stay in Korea will be a most comfortable and enjoyable one.

Haile Selassie

While I have always been interested in reading about the Korean War I am certainly not an expert on the subject and was thus surprised to learn that the Ethiopian military provided three 1,200 man Battalions to the UN Command starting in May/June of 1951. The Ethiopian units were designated as the 1st Kagnew Battalion, the 2nd Kagnew Battalion, and the 3rd Kagnew Battalion and they were integrated into the command of the U.S. 7th Infantry Division during the Korean War. This stamp was issued to commemorate and honor the "precious blood" spilled by the Ethiopian military for the defense of freedom and I've read that there were 122 KIA and 566 WIA from the Kagnew Battalions that fought during the war.

 

In January 2010, U.S. Army Africa published an interesting article about their visit with Kagnew veterans at the Korean War memorial in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. To read the article click here. I found this bit of military history to be fascinating!

During my research of this stamp issue I did not turn up much information about Haile Selassie's visit to South Korea; however, I learned a tremendous amount about Ethiopia's military role during the Korean War. Fascinating stuff that I may not have ever discovered had I not stopped to learn more about this stamp and souvenir sheet. 

Until next time...

2010 Korean Postage Stamps Yearbook

2010 stamp yearbook as it appears on K-stamp website

Today's post features the other gift I received from my friend Eunju in Korea for my birthday, which was yesterday. This is the first postage stamp yearbook I have held in my hands and these are beautiful! This stamp yearbook was issued on 18 February 2011 and comes in hardcover with a matching slip case. On the inside there are descriptions in both English and Korean of every stamp issued in 2010 and the actual stamps are also mounted within the book. If interested in taking a peek at this yearbook check out: http://www.kstamp.go.kr/fcatalog/ecatalog.jsp?Dir=647

 I really like these yearbooks. Prior to receiving this one as a birthday gift I was contemplating getting one ever year for my daughter starting with 2009 (the year she was born), so that she can learn about Korean culture through stamps when she gets older. After reading through the 2010 yearbook I'm convinced that adding one to my collection each year is the way to go....now I just have to go out and pick up the 2009 issue!

This was a really wonderful birthday gift! Thank you Eunju!!

Until next time....

Korean-Made Characters 1st Series: Pororo (2011)

This week's stamp feature is the first stamp issue of 2011 for South Korea and the first of a new series of stamps to highlight Korean-made animation/cartoon characters. The image above is a full sheet of ten stamps of characters from "Pororo, The Little Penguin." For those unfamiliar with "Pororo, The Little Penguin", it is one of the more popular cartoons in South Korea and images of these characters can be found emblazoned on just about everything over in Korea. Here are some specific details surrounding this stamp series:

• Date of Issue: 22 February 2011
• Scott Catalogue #: TBD
• Korea Postage stamp Catalogue #: TBD
• Quantity Produced: 400,000 each

The image below is from a pamphlet issued by the Korea Post that provides additional information on this Pororo stamp issue.

(click to enlarge)

This stamp issue is a special one for me for two reasons. First, my two year old daughter is crazy about Pororo and she has everything from a Pororo play mat to a set of Pororo chopsticks. Second and more importantly...this stamp sheet was included in a package my good friend Eunju sent me from Korea for my birthday that is coming up next week. Eunju's package from Korea was a complete surprise and she knows that I collect stamps from South Korea so she included this stamp issue and another special gift that I will cover in next week's post. I was extremely touched by my friend's thinking of me on my birthday and I'll always remember this thoughtful gesture of hers.

Picture of my daughter's Pororo play mat

Though this stamp series is geared for children I think adults will find some enjoyment collecting these stamps as well (or at least I will). Until next time...

v/r
Beezer

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