Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
In the November 2025 issue of the Monthly Postage Stamp, member Ryoo Sang-beom of the Korea-Japan Philatelic Club argued that the expression “Foreign Mail Cancellation” (Oechein), which I used in my contribution regarding datestamps used for international mail transport, was inappropriate. He proposed “Roman Letter Cancellation” (Romaja Ilbuin) as an alternative. The core of his […]
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Kim Haksu (金學洙, 1919-2009) was one of the most celebrated twentieth-century Korean artists. He painted in a style which was influenced both by Korean traditions and Western concepts of painting. Kim Haksu is most noted for his depictions of events and scenes in late nineteenth and early twentieth century, showing both customs and significant buildings […]
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The book 한국우취연합 40년사 (Eng.: “The 40-Year History of the Korea Philatelic Federation”) provides an extensive overview of the organization’s establishment, activities, and impact over the last four decades. This publication not only celebrates the achievements of the Korea Philatelic Federation (KPF) but also contemplates the evolving nature of philately in an increasingly digital world.
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(OPINION by Hyun Byung-rae, Secretary General, Philatelic Federation of Korea) The PHILAKOREA 2025 World Stamp Exhibition was held for five days, from September 17 to September 21, at the COEX Magok Exhibition Center. Commemorating the year 1884, when the Ujeongchongguk (Postal Administration) was established and the first stamp, the Moonwi stamp, was issued, Korea has […]
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This set of stamps (SG 844 – 847), issued on 5 March, 1970, depicts the Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter. Like the Tale of K’ongjwi and P’atjwi – the Korean version of the Story of Cinderella, this tale is the Korean version of another of the world’s most wide-spread and historic tales, […]
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Among the stamps of Old Korea (Empire of Korea), the Plum Blossom (Ihwa) Reprints and the Royal Commemoration (Eogeuk) Reprints are stamps produced as reprints by the Japanese Ministry of Communications or the Residency-General using the original printing plates of Old Korea following the Korea-Japan Communication Agreement. As shown in [Table 1], these were reprinted […]
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This text on the history of the KPF up to 1984 was originally published in the January 1984 issue of Woopyo and reprinted for the 40th anniversary (see KPF anniversary book, pages 30-35). The article was written by Kang Yun-hong, at the time Vice President of the then very recently established Korea Philatelic Federation. Interesting […]
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South Korea’s submarine program began in 1992 with the deployment of the Jang Bogo-class (KSS-I), developed in cooperation with Germany. In the 2000s, the Republic of Korea Navy demonstrated its growing capabilities by participating in the multinational Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. By 2011, South Korea had become the world’s fifth-largest submarine exporter, delivering […]
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In 1991 the Korean National Tuberculosis Association (KNTA) seal program released two small sheets in a souvenir sheet format with ten different images on each of the two sheets for a total of 20 different seals. One of the sheets of seals depict Korean Harvest time and the other sheet shows Koreans scenes, including playing […]
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The December 2025 issue of Woopyo Magazine, the official publication of the Korean Philatelic Federation, is a rich and expansive volume that reflects a community still energized by the recent PHILAKOREA 2025 World Stamp Exhibition. From detailed post-event analysis to rigorous postal-historical research, and from international philatelic developments to deeply specialized thematic studies, this issue […]
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(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 1 December 2025 KoreaPost issued a stamp issue for the “New Year Greetings”. The stamps were issued in a sheet of 16 (4×4) stamps plus a sheetlet of 4 stamps. All stamps are 영원우표 or “Forever” stamps, valid for domestic use up to 25 grams. The stamps were printed […]
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This article, originally published in the September 2025 issue of the Korean philatelic magazine Woopyo, examines the 1969 semi-postal issue known as the Searchlight Donation Fund Stamp. Intended to raise money for maritime safety and national defense during a time of heightened tensions, the stamp was based on the 7-won Taegeukgi definitive with an added […]
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(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 28 November 2025 KoreaPost issued a stamp issue commemorating Traditional Korean Martial Art” as part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage series. The stamps were issued in a sheet of 10 stamps of 430 won. The stamps were printed by Brebner Print for POSA.
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In the article by Nam Sang-uk (남상욱), President of the Korean Philatelic Association, titled “Postal Inquiry of the Korean Empire Period – Tracing the Origin of the Eunsan Postage Receipt Office’s International Handstamp (Part 1)” published in the July 2025 issue of Uphyo (『우표』), it is stated that “according to Ordinance No. 38 of the […]
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The South Korean revenue stamp under examination bears the distinctive inscription “전매청 허가업체,” which translates to “Office of Monopoly Licensed Company.” This reflects South Korea’s historical context, where certain industries were placed under governmental control, with specific licensed companies authorized to operate within these monopolies. Revenue stamps were thus essential in tracking and collecting taxes […]
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This article, published in the June 2024 issue of Woopyo (우표) magazine, continues Kim Heon-sik’s (김헌식) ongoing series of in-depth studies on Korea’s definitive stamp issues. In this installment, the author examines the second series of Republic of Korea definitive stamps, with a particular focus on the ₩1,000 “Heavenly Maidens Offering” (천인공양도) stamp printed by […]
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On April 1 of Gwangmu 2 (광무 2년, 1898), the establishment of temporary post offices in Gyeonggi Province (경기도 임시우체사 설치) was announced under Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry Ordinance No. 27 (농상공부령 제27호 공고). According to Ordinance No. 28 (농상공부령 제28호), announced on May 11, it was proclaimed that from May 15, temporary […]
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Among the sheets presented to the participating nations issued between 1951 and 1952, there is a mixture of two types: those manufactured on the same printing plate together with the stamps arranged side by side, and those manufactured from a printing plate composed solely of the sheets without any stamps. The former takes the form […]
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Every autumn, KoreaPost—the official postal operator of South Korea, previously known as the Ministry of Communications—celebrates Philatelic Week. This annual event promotes the hobby of stamp collecting, with KoreaPost issuing special commemorative stamps and souvenir sheets each year.
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The Korea Philatelic Federation (한국우취연합) published Chronology of Postal Offices 1876–1945 (우체관서연혁 1876~1945) in commemoration of PHILAKOREA 2025 (필라코리아 2025). It organizes, by office, the histories of the Post Office Department (우정국), post offices (우체사), temporary post offices (임시우체사), and Japanese Post Offices in Korea (在韓日本郵便局 / 재한일본우편국) that existed on our soil. Here, I整理 […]
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