(This text includes extra remarks by Peter Beck regarding this catalogue.) The KPC (Korean Postage Stamp Catalogue) has been published since nineteen aught (I-don’t-know-when), by the Korean Philatelic Co., Ltd. In Hangul/Korean, they go by the name of Oo-moon kwon. I first became familiar with their catalogue in 1991.
Korean stamps are listed chronologically in eight different sections depending on the “class” of stamp. From front-to-rear, the sections are:
1. Old-Korea/Chosan
a. The KPC# begins at “1” and ends with “43”; disregarding “Major-suffix numbers”. Then KPC#’s of “R1-R3 & R5”, are assigned to the four re-prints issued by the Japanese, in 1905.
b. The number shown in “( )”, following the KPC#, is the SCOTT catalogue number.
2. Definitive Stamps/Korean=Boe-tong Oop-yoe
a. The KPC# continues with “45-50”, for the six Japanese overprints issued by the US Military Government Office, on 02.01.1946; then continues through KPC# “447”, the last Definitive Stamp listed by the 2007-KPC.
b. The number shown in “( )”, following the KPC#, is the “Korean Government Stamp Serial Number (KSN#)”; a sequential number that has been assigned by the “Stamp Issuing Authority” to every stamp issued to the public; beginning at “1” for the “Over-printed Japanese Stamps” issued on 02.01.1946, and ending with “2445”; the last Definitive Stamp catalogued by the 2007-KPC.
3. Regional Stamps/Korean=Jee-bong Oop-yoe
The 2007-KPC introduces a new section that contains only one stamp, the Dec. 27, 2005 issued “Multi-funcional Administrative City”, with a KPC# of Z-1, KSN# 2472.
4. New Year’s Greeting Stamps/Korean=Yon-ha Oop-yoe
a. The KPC# in this section, begins with “N-1” for the first “Christmas & New Years Stamp”, issued on 12.11.1957; and ends with “N-83” for the “New Years Greeting Stamp” to be issued 12.01.2006.
b. The number shown in “( )”, following the KPC#, is the “Korean Government Stamp Serial Number (KSN#)”; a sequential number that has been assigned by the “Stamp Issuing Authority” to every stamp issued to the public; beginning at “1” for the “Over-printed Japanese Stamps” issued on 02.01.1946, and ending with “2524”; for the last “New Years Greeting Stamp” catalogued by the 2007-KPC, the up-coming “New Year’s Greeting for 2007, containing a “Pig”, to be issued Dec. 1, 2006.
5. My Own Stamps/Korean=Na-mon-we Oop-yoe
This section was introduced in the 2002-KPC. 2007-KPC contains KPC# Y-1, KSN# 2153, issued 04-30-2001 thru KPC# Y-18, KSN# 2493, issued 06-02-2006.
6. Commemorative & Special Stamps/Korean=Kee-nyom & Took-byol Oop-yoe
a. The KPC# in this section, begins with “C-2” for the first “Commemorative Stamp” issued on 05.01.1946 (“C-1” was assigned to the “40th Anniv. of Emperor’s Reign Stamp, issued 10.18.1902, in the Old-Korea/Chosan Section), and ending with “C-1971”; for the last “Commemorative Stamp” catalogued by the 2007-KPC, to be issued Dec. 14, 2006.
b. The number shown in “( )”, following the KPC#, is the “Korean Government Stamp Serial Number (KSN#)”; a sequential number that has been assigned by the “Stamp Issuing Authority” to every stamp issued to the public; beginning at “7” for the “Commemorative Stamp” issued on 05.01.1946, and ending with “2528”; for the last “Commemorative Stamp” catalogued by the 2007-KPC.
7. Semi-Postal Stamps/Korean=Ja-son Oop-yoe
a. The KPC# in this section, begins with “S-1” for the first “Semi-postal/Funding Stamp” issued on 08.01.1953, and ending with “S-18”; for the last “Semi-postal/Funding Stamp” catalogued by the 2002-KPC; the stamp issued 07.25.1977.
b. The number shown in “( )”, following the KPC#, is the “Korean Government Stamp Serial Number (KSN#)”; a sequential number that has been assigned by the “Stamp Issuing Authority” to every stamp issued to the public; beginning at “149” for the “Semi-postal/Funding Stamp” issued on 08.01.1953, and ending with “1061”; for the last “Semi-postal/Funding Stamp” catalogued by the 1977, or 1978-KPC, since this section has not changed since.
8. Air Mail Stamps/Korean=Hang-kong Oop-yoe
a. The KPC# in this section, begins with “A-1” for the first “Air Mail/Air Post Stamp” issued on 10.01.1947, and ending with “A-40”; for the last “Air Mail/Air Post Stamp” catalogued by the 1974-KPC; the stamp issued 12.20.1973. This section has not changed since.
b. The number shown in “( )”, following the KPC#, is the “Korean Government Stamp Serial Number”; a sequential number that has been assigned by the “Stamp Issuing Authority” to every stamp issued to the public; beginning at “24” for the “Air Mail/Air Post Stamp” issued on 10.01.1947, and ending with “879”; for the last “Air Mail/Air Post Stamp” catalogued by the 1974-KPC, since this section has not changed.
9. 2002-2006 Stamp Issues, prior to the receipt of the 2007-KPC
Beginning with the Stamp Issues of 2002-on, I referred to the Korean Philatelic Co., Ltd. Web-Site, in assigning KPC#’s:
Korean Philatelic Co., Ltd. Web-Site
The rear-of-the-book area is filled with Proof & Presentation Sheets, Postal Cards, and Christmas Seals.
During the Asian economic crisis 1997-1999 (KPC publications: 1998-2000), stamp price increases were seldom and insignificant. The 2001-KPC contained the first major stamp price increases in three years. The 2002-KPC continued the increase trend.
The 2007-KPC, was published on July 31, 2006.
Comments about Woo-moon-kwan
by Peter Beck, President KSS
January 21, 2007
Woomoon: My next stop was my first-ever visit to what may be the largest stamp dealer and publisher in Korea, Woomoonkwan/Korean Philatelic Co., best known for publishing one of our bibles, the Korean Postage Stamp Catalogue. Located in a hotel around the corner from the Central Post Office, I talked with one of the owners, Mr. Park Sung-ryul, who told me with chagrin about clipping the wartime surcharge stamps from letters when he was a boy. He also told me that it was the sale of a crate-load of 1948-49 regular “Won” issues to an American packet dealer that gave him the capital to set up his business. Woomun and Mr. Park can be reached at (woomoon@woomoon.com).
It was fun to be able to buy the 2007-KPC at the source. I can’t help but offer a few initial observations. You will find the same high-quality printing and binding that puts the competition to shame, but Mr. Park apologized for the fact that the 2006 stamps are not all listed properly because when Woomoon was going to press last July, unlike previous years, Korea Post had not announced all of the remaining issues for the year. I told him that in my case, I am more interested in the front of the book than the back. At first glance at the latest volume, what leapt out at me were the astronomical prices. On paper at least, I am a very rich man. #1 lists at W280,000, which is about $300. Even #5/U3 lists for W60,000. At these prices, I have enough copies of the first five issues alone to put my daughter through college! Of course, the whole set can be had for less than $20 on eBay…
