Korea Stamp Society

ROK Samiljeol Commemorative Military Post Card used in 1952

November 30, 2021October 14, 2021 Richard Arent381Leave a Comment

Shown here is a military post card used in 1952. The card is a commemorative card, printed to commemorate “Samil Day”. The following extract about Samiljeol is from a 1943 booklet authored by New Ilhan entitled Korea and the Pacific War which was based on a report he prepared for the Office of Strategic Services […]

Post cards commemorating the ROK 1955 Expo

November 27, 2021October 5, 2021 Richard Arent4112 Comments

Two post cards, part of a set commemorating the ROK 1955 Expo. These two post cards were made by the Huimangsa 希望社 · 製 for the industrial exhibition commemorating the tenth anniversary of liberation 解放十週年產業博覽會記念. This refers to August 15, 1945, commemorated in both the ROK and DPRK as the date Korea was liberated from […]

KSC5375-5376: Passenger Buses

November 26, 2021February 25, 2023 KP Online Editor27Leave a Comment

(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On 26 November 2021 the Korea Stamp Corporation issued a set showing “Passenger Buses”.

Japanese era “directional cachets” used on New Ilhan covers leading the way to the USA

November 25, 2021October 14, 2021 Robert (Bob) Finder337Leave a Comment

When I was writing my earlier article on New Ilhan (see KP Vol. 57 No. 1), I didn’t even realize I had more envelopes from the New Ilhan company. When I did realize, I looked around for more envelopes from New Ilhan and discovered several other items. All these envelopes must have come from the […]

My postal experiences in the DPRK 2012 – 2013

November 23, 2021November 23, 2021 Leo van der Velden5722 Comments

From early August 2012 to the end of November 2013 I was stationed in Pyongyang (DPRK) for the World Food Program of the United Nations. Because of the limited international internet access allowed to the WFP national staff in the DPRK (mainly seconded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). There is also a WFP DPRK […]

History of the Korea Stamp Society Written in 1976

November 20, 2021August 21, 2021 Robert (Bob) Finder395Leave a Comment

As I looking through my old Korean Philately magazines in preparation for the KP 70th anniversary issue of the Korea Stamp Society I came across something that I had not noticed before. On the back of a facsimile of the first KP issued on October 1, 1951, I found a summary of the KSS from […]

KPC3555-3558: The Style of the Hanbok

November 18, 2021April 21, 2023 KP Online Editor14Leave a Comment

(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 18 November 2021 KoreaPost issued a stamp issue commemorating “The Style of the Hanbok”. The stamp was also issued in a minisheet of 4 x 4 stamps (16), at 430 won each. The stamps were printed by Cartor for POSA.

The Bencruachan making waves

November 17, 2021October 12, 2021 Ivo Spanjersberg383Leave a Comment

One of the most interesting types of (philatelic) articles are in my opinion the ones which have a personal connection. Take for instance the KSS members who used to work in Korea in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time they wrote quite a few articles on the philatelic situation on the ground, which has […]

The Tatham Stamp and Coin Company and Dr. Halls TB/Christmas Seals

November 13, 2021August 26, 2021 Robert (Bob) Finder391Leave a Comment

A 2-sided sheet containing Dr. Sherwood Hall’s Korean Tuberculosis/Christmas and New Seals from 1932-1940 caught my eye on eBay recently; it was offered by a dealer in the UK. It was produced by the Tatham Stamp and Coin Company of Springfield, Massachusetts in the USA and it is a set of seals “on approval”. When […]

Stamp essay of 1884 5 mun stamp in Spink auction: do we know more about this item?

November 10, 2021October 4, 2022 KP Online Editor702Leave a Comment

In Spink’s auction of 12 January 2020 a rather strange item showed up. No, the type of item is not strange, stamp essays are quite commonly available. Actually, one might even say some essays are too common, just have a look at Willem van der Bijl’s article on the subject of North Korean “artworks” in […]

KPC3551-3553: Medicinal Plants

November 10, 2021April 21, 2023 KP Online Editor15Leave a Comment

(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 10 November 2021 KoreaPost issued a stamp issue showing “Medicinal Plants”. The stamp was also issued in a minisheet of 2 x 6 stamps (12), at 430 won each. The stamps were printed by Cartor for POSA.

Readers Question: Envelope for monetary donations or condolence letters?

November 6, 2021November 9, 2021 Richard Arent4992 Comments

Here is an envelope that looks like Dr. Hall’s examples but has no space for addresses. I thought it could be intended for monetary donations or possibly for condolence letters placed inside comfort bags. Does anyone know for sure?

KSC5371-5374: Cultural Remains

November 5, 2021February 25, 2023 KP Online Editor28Leave a Comment

(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On 5 November 2021 the Korea Stamp Corporation issued a set showing “Cultural Remains”.

Missionary Correspondence in Colonial Korea: McCune – Hunt Letters

November 4, 2021October 11, 2021 James H. Grayson335Leave a Comment

The three envelopes described below are small but important pieces of information about three key Presbyterian missionary families in Korea – the McCunes, the Hunts, and the Blairs. All of these families were involved in education, and became embroiled in the politics of colonial Korea under the Japanese. In particular, they and other missionaries were […]

A tense peace or a relaxed war?

November 2, 2021October 11, 2021 Ivo Spanjersberg335Leave a Comment

Korea is a peninsula that lies in the sea from China and Siberia towards Japan. It has since 1945 effectively consisted of two parts, North and South. The history of this division has nothing to do with Korea itself, but the effect is that since 1948 there are two countries, the “DPRK” (North) and the […]