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 virtuous actions, and the punishment for unkind and greedy behaviour. We also noted that Confucian thought was embedded in the narrative as the shock element of the story was that unlike Confucian expectations, it was not the older brother but the younger brother who exemplified good Confucian conduct.
The set of stamps depicting the story of Hŭngbu and Nŏlbu was the final issue in a series depicting Korean folktales which began on 1 September, 1969 with the issue of a set of four stamps illustrating the Tale of K’ongjwi and P’atjwi, the Korean version of the world-wide tale of Cinderella. Like the Tale of Hŭngbu and Nŏlbu, this tale has the dual function of showing how virtue is rewarded and unkindness and greed are punished. The story of Cinderella is found in cultures throughout the world, but there is a particular variant which is typical of China and Korea which is illustrated in the stamps in this series. Although some of the elements of the Korean version differ from what we know as Cinderella, the essential themes and structure of the story are the same.
