Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many events have been successfully held in grand style. These include the annual Korea Philatelic Exhibition and celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Philatelic Federation of Korea, the 700th issue of the Monthly Stamp Magazine, and the 60th anniversary of the Monthly Stamp Magazine’s first publication. Furthermore, by consistently participating in Asian and World Stamp Exhibitions, many Korean philatelists have achieved outstanding results, such as Mr. Han Cheol-kyu winning the Grand Prix International at the Thailand 2023 World Stamp Exhibition.
While preparing for the PHILAKOREA 2025 World Stamp Exhibition since 2023, I have frequently attended domestic and international events and meetings. During many conversations, I’ve witnessed a sense of premature discouragement and self-deprecation, with people asking, “Will we be able to host another PHILAKOREA World Stamp Exhibition in 10 years?” This has led me to reflect on the future of philately myself. In the early 20th century, Korean philately was ranked highly in Asia, but the reality is that it has recently fallen out of the top five in both quantity and quality.
Although most international judges openly refer to philately as a “sunset hobby,” it continues to enjoy great popularity in some countries. What is particularly noteworthy is the significant increase in the price of collectibles compared to 20 years ago, sometimes causing hesitation when making a purchase and making it difficult to find desired items.
For PHILAKOREA 2025, the 50 entries from Korea, totaling 259 frames, represent 13% of all exhibits—a very good record quantitatively. However, there are doubts about whether they will receive high awards qualitatively, though I believe this can be overcome with great effort. Having served as an international judge on several occasions, I have felt how difficult it is to increase a score by even two or three points from a previous exhibition. I am keenly aware that moving up a single level in the higher award categories is even more challenging. Improving the quality of an exhibit is not a one-time effort; it requires participating in and observing numerous exhibitions to understand current trends and continuously supplementing one’s collection with high-quality philatelic material.
The future of Korean philately, therefore, depends on sustained commitment, careful acquisition, and ongoing engagement in both national and international arenas.
