Korea Stamp Society

Sometimes something comes up by accident which may be too good to be true. Or not, of course. One such item is this quite attractive card. It is a Japanese produced postal card of 5 sen which was used in South Korea as a card worth 5 jeon, uprated with another stamp for 5 jeon, […]

Preface: This series of articles derive from discussions among several KSS member collectors. Some of them are interested in collecting Korean (and Japanese) philatelic items but feel confused in distinguishing different surcharges of early Korean postal stationeries since they cannot read Hanja and Hangul.

(Editor) Willem van der Bijl is one of the world’s foremost dealers of North Korean philatelic materials. In his collection are many unique items, which, until he managed to acquire them, were unknown to the philatelic world. However, given the unique economic situation in North Korea he also managed to accidentally create a completely new […]

The Catholic Church in Korea started when Yi Sŭnghun came back from China after he had been baptized. He met Yi Pyŏk and Chŏng Yakchŏn, and together they built a faith community. The community remained viable even after small and large persecutions (about 10) during the almost 100 year long period starting with the Sinhae […]

What follows is an update on my article of 1996 about the investment potential of South Korean stamps. In 1972 (when stamps were touted as investments) Linn’s Weekly Stamp News and others started “Investment Suggestions” which is now called the “Tip of the Week”. In about 1980 Linn’s began a “Trends of Stamp Values” which […]

In the 1960s and for several decades afterwards David Phillips often wrote for Korean Philately magazine as well as being for some time the publisher of KP. He was also a producer of many philatelic publications including some of the best philatelic publications on Korea. This was at a time when next to nothing was […]

We received a message from one of our readers, Peter, who has two questions. One is on the KoreaPost international stamp sales website and the inability to actually order something through that website, a point raised quite often by both KSS members and visitors of the KSS website. The other question is on North Korean […]

(Editor: a recent question by Chen Yi-Fu led to quite a few answers being given in the comments section. The original article/question can be found here.) This small article is trying to answer some comments about the authenticity of KSC #5 (Sc #11) Secondary anniversary of the labour law.

In the last few issues of KP and on the KSS website we have shown examples of album pages made and/or used by KSS members. Here we show the original KSS album pages, the pages as produced and for years marketed in Korean Philately by our long-time member David Phillips.

Much has been written on the logistics, causes, and effects of the Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953). Charles Armstrong was correct to assert that the Cold War was a campaign of propaganda and psychological warfare,1 with the Korean War being no exception. It was not just a physical conflict, it was […]

Throughout the history seals have adorned letters and manuscripts. Whether wax or paper, this simple practical device has been utilised as a messenger in its own right, demonstrating power and status, highlighting a worthy cause or sending a seasonal greeting (see the famous TB Christmas seals). The seal and its cinderella cousin have a justified […]

Several interesting items are shown in current auctions run by Soler y Llach and Gärtner. These items are a cover (Soler y Llach) and postcards (Gärtner) with stamps from the classical period of Korean philatelic history, in this case covers sent between 1897 and 1904.

(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 26 February 2021 KoreaPost issued a set of stamps showing examples of items which form part of Korean cultural heritage and which were previously taken to a location outside of Korea but which have recently been returned to Korea. This unfortunate situation of cultural heritage no longer residing, for […]

(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 16 February 2021 KoreaPost issued a stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of KAIST. KAIST (formerly the “Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology”) is a national research university located in Daedeok Innopolis, Daejeon, South Korea. KAIST was established by the Korean government in 1971 as the nation’s first public, […]

(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On 25 February 2021 the Korea Stamp Corporation issued a series of stamps and a souvenir sheet showing the “Pyongyang Golf Course, which is situated at the Thaesong lakeside at the foot of Mt Sokchon, has an 18-hole course, nine holes each in two parts with an accommodation […]

(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On 16 February 2021 the Korea Stamp Corporation issued a stamp “to mark the 79th birthday of the great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il. The stamp reflects Chairman Kim Jong Il’s birthplace in the Paektusan Secret Camp and Jong Il Peak.”