(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 been hosting this event in years ending with the number “4” since 1984 (held in 1984, 1994, and 2014).
Following this custom, member countries of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) host world stamp exhibitions when their specific commemorative years arrive, such as the UK in years ending in 0 (1840), the USA in 6 (1776), Japan in 1 (1871), and China in 9 (1879). These events are conducted with the patronage of the FIP and the auspices of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP); the Philatelic Federation of Korea joined the FIP in 1975 and represents the Korean philatelic community both domestically and internationally.
This World Stamp Exhibition was conducted under the concept of “CONNECT” with the theme “Stamps: Meeting the World.” The purposes of hosting the exhibition were: first, to promote Korea’s postal service and culture; second, to promote friendship and maintain close cooperation among philatelists and stamp collectors worldwide; and third, to enhance philately to the highest international level and contribute to stamp collecting.
