Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
The global philatelic festival, the PHILAKOREA 2025 World Stamp Exhibition, was held with great success from September 17 to 21 at COEX Magok Exhibition Hall in Seoul. Looking back at the behind-the-scenes preparations that began in 2021, one can say that the five-year-long journey of preparations has now come to an end. From the very […]
Continue Reading
The October 2025 issue of 우표 (Woopyo), no. 717, presents itself as both a commemorative record of 필라코리아 2025 (PhilaKorea 2025) and as a continuation of philatelic scholarship spanning traditional, modern, and thematic subjects. The sheer size of this issue, surpassing one hundred pages, reflects the editorial decision to preserve in one place the award […]
Continue Reading
“Gwendoline” is an external postmark used by the Eunsan Postal Matter Receiving Office in South Pyongan Province during the late Joseon/Great Korean Empire period (Guhanguk). It is well known as the longest English-language external postmark place name and the only external postmark struck in blue. It is also widely known that “Gwendoline” is a phonetic […]
Continue Reading
(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On 26 September 2025 the Korea Stamp Corporation issued a set of stamps showing “Kaesong Koryo Insam”.
Continue Reading
In 1957, Ottawa, Canada, played host to the prestigious 14th Congress of the Universal Postal Union (U.P.U.), marking an important chapter in international postal history. The U.P.U. Congress, established initially in Bern, Switzerland, in 1874, serves as a significant platform where delegates from across the globe convene to deliberate on critical issues affecting international postal […]
Continue Reading
This article, published in the September 2025 issue of Woopyo Magazine, is the thirteenth part of a series on Korea’s Tourist Date Cancellations. It examines Daegu (대구), highlighting the landmarks, cultural sites, and natural features that have appeared on these postmarks, along with their design changes and periods of use.
Continue Reading
The purpose of this stamp’s issuance was to purchase helicopters as part of establishing a self-reliant national defense with the strength of the entire nation, in order to counter the mass infiltration of armed communist guerillas from North Korea. At the time, the stamp’s issuance was promoted under the names of the Minister of Communications […]
Continue Reading
The “Specialized Catalogue of Korean Stamps” published in 2023 presents tables concerning the issuance quantities of Korean Empire stamps, as does Mizuhara Meiso’s “Modern Postal History of Korea“. These tables reiterate previously published data. A detailed examination reveals discrepancies between the reported quantities of Plum Blossom regular stamps (이화 보통우표) and Falcon regular stamps (독수리 […]
Continue Reading
(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On 18 September 2025 the Korea Stamp Corporation issued a set of stamps showing “Piphadan Resort, Pipha Seal Reserve and Rason Migratory Bird (Wetland) Reserve”.
Continue Reading
(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 17 September 2025 KoreaPost issued a stamp issue showing “Dancheong Korean Traditional Multicolored Paintwork”. The stamps were issued in a sheet of 12 stamps of 430 won and a sheetlet of 3 stamps of 1800 won. The stamps were printed by Brebner Print for POSA.
Continue Reading
(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 17 September 2025 KoreaPost issued a stamp issue showing “Korean Desserts”. The stamps were issued in a sheet of 10 stamps of 430 won. The stamps were printed by Brebner Print for POSA.
Continue Reading
This article, published in Woopyo Magazine, originally from the philatelic research of Choi Tae-yoon (최태윤) (a member of the Korean Special Postmarks Society (관광통신일부인동호회)), explores the special postmarks, known as “tourist postmarks” or “special cancellation marks,” used at various beaches along the southern coast of Korea.
Continue Reading
(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 11 September 2025 KoreaPost issued a stamp issue commemorating “The inauguration of the 21st president”. The stamps were issued in a sheet of 15 (5×3) stamps of 430 won. The stamps were printed by KOMSCO for POSA.
Continue Reading
We have already looked at the Tale of Hŭngbu and Nŏlbu, the story of a poor but virtuous younger brother and a rich but greedy older brother, which appeared on a set of four stamps issued in 1970. We noted that the story consisted of two contrasting sections which emphasised the rewards for kind and […]
Continue Reading
The Gijang Post Office (기장우체국), under Postmaster Park Young-sun (박영선), has announced an additional pre-order period for a personalized stamp sheet titled “Gijang’s Unique Lighthouses” (기장의 특색 있는 등대). This release highlights the distinctive lighthouses along the Gijang coastline, a region in Busan known for its rugged seascapes and maritime history.
Continue Reading
Here is the latest philatelic news from Korea, compiled by Jin Hur, editor in chief of KPF’s magazine Woopyo. This column was originally published in the September 2025 issue of the Korean philatelic magazine Woopyo. The main focus this month is on the exciting final preparations and special releases for the upcoming PHILAKOREA 2025 World […]
Continue Reading
North Korean stamps are fascinating items for any collector. They are known for their bold, colorful, and highly political designs. But to truly appreciate them, you have to look beyond the surface. The language and symbols used are often packed with ideological meaning that can be easily lost in translation.
Continue Reading
(News from 조선우표사 / Korea Stamp Corporation) On 5 September 2025 the Korea Stamp Corporation issued a set of stamps showing “Taekwon-Do”.
Continue Reading
The September issue of Woopyo (통권716호) presents a broad range of philatelic studies, news, and reflections, carefully arranged to provide both contemporary updates and historical insights. This review offers an overview of each article, highlighting the topics discussed and the perspectives of the authors.
Continue Reading
In 1988 the Korean National Tuberculosis Association (KNTA) seal program used fifteen different images for the 1988 Christmas and TB seals. The sheets of fifty seals are unusual in that there are forty seals per sheet with four blocks of ten of images, and a middle row consisting of ten seals of two sets of […]
Continue Reading