Year: 2026

Review of the October 2026 Issue of Woopyo

KP Online Editor18Leave a Comment on Review of the October 2026 Issue of Woopyo

The October 2026 issue of Woopyo offers a particularly broad cross-section of the Korea Philatelic Federation’s activities and collecting interests. Its centre of gravity is firmly in Korean postal history and traditional philately: Korean War military mail, the production and delivery of Korea’s first stamps, the provisional overprints of the immediate post-Liberation period, Japanese postal […]

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The South Korea 2001 Christmas and New Year/TB Seal

Robert (Bob) Finder37Leave a Comment on The South Korea 2001 Christmas and New Year/TB Seal

In 2001 the Korean National Tuberculosis Association (KNTA)’s Christmas and New Year/TB seal program, following the tradition of promoting awareness and raising funds for the fight against tuberculosis, issued two different small sheets of ten seals, in a souvenir sheet format, plus a larger sheet of twenty seals.

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Early North Korean Postal History in the Christoph Gärtner 66th Auction

Florian Eichhorn59Leave a Comment on Early North Korean Postal History in the Christoph Gärtner 66th Auction

A group of North Korean covers and postal stationery offered as lots 2957–2976 in the Christoph Gärtner 66th Auction provides a compact view of postal use during the first years of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The material is varied: ordinary inland letters, registered mail, air mail, foreign destinations, postal stationery and a small […]

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South Korea 1998 Christmas and TB seals Update

Robert (Bob) Finder65Leave a Comment on South Korea 1998 Christmas and TB seals Update

On August 7, 2026 an article on the South Korea 1998 Christmas seal (Korean Postage Stamp Catalogue (KPSC) TCS 408-417 and TCS 418-427) was published on the website. Since then, the author has obtained the folder that the two sheets were placed in for some orders. In addition, we have been doing more translations of […]

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The “Korean Art and Folk Painting Album”

Stewart Steres84Leave a Comment on The “Korean Art and Folk Painting Album”

Issued by KoreaPost, the Korean Art and Folk Painting Album brings together some of South Korea’s most beloved commemorative stamps devoted to the nation’s artistic traditions. This beautifully designed tri-fold album showcases the diversity of Korean art through two distinct yet complementary themes: classical Korean art and folk painting (민화, Minhwa).

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Foreign Postal Operations During the Postal Vacuum Period

KP Online Editor78Leave a Comment on Foreign Postal Operations During the Postal Vacuum Period

After the Imo Soldiers’ Riot (임오군란, 1882), the “Regulations for Maritime and Overland Trade Between Korean and Chinese Merchants” (조청상민수륙무역장정, 商民水陸貿易章程, October 1882) were concluded, which significantly increased China’s economic influence. Following this, the Gapsin Coup (갑신정변, 1884) created political turmoil in Joseon, while Chinese interference in domestic affairs intensified further. Having lost political influence […]

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A North Korean query: the highest rate seen on a pre-Korean War cover

Anthony Bard3144 Comments on A North Korean query: the highest rate seen on a pre-Korean War cover

As an example of a postal rate that is difficult to explain, this April 1950 cover should come as no surprise to collectors of North Korean postal history. What makes it special, is the rate, 20 won. This is the highest pre-Korean War franking that I have recorded in nearly 20 years of specialising in […]

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The September 2026 Issue of Woopyo: A broad issue with a strong postal-history core

KP Online Editor566Leave a Comment on The September 2026 Issue of Woopyo: A broad issue with a strong postal-history core

The September 2026 issue of Woopyo, published on 1 September by the Korea Philatelic Federation (한국우취연합), has an unusually broad range. Its contents move from current Korean stamp issues and exhibition affairs to detailed studies of Korean postal history, the Munwi stamps, post-Liberation provisional overprints and postal stationery. Alongside these are articles on tourist datestamps, […]

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The 11th inauguration of President Chun Doo-hawn album

Stewart Steres179Leave a Comment on The 11th inauguration of President Chun Doo-hawn album

Chun Doo-hwan’s rise to power in South Korea is a tale of military might, political maneuvering, and controversial leadership. Born in 1931, Chun’s early career was marked by his rapid ascent through the military ranks, culminating in his role as a key figure in the 1979 coup following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee1. This […]

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Early Postal Items from the Temporary Postal Agencies (1898-1905)

KP Online Editor213Leave a Comment on Early Postal Items from the Temporary Postal Agencies (1898-1905)

Up to now, this series has covered the various public notices issued prior to the establishment of the temporary postal agencies, along with the installation of such agencies in the various counties and revisions to the related early regulations. Beginning with this installment, I will introduce materials primarily from my own collection.

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Woo Jang-choon, Who Saved Korean Rural Communities through Seed Development

KP Online Editor358Leave a Comment on Woo Jang-choon, Who Saved Korean Rural Communities through Seed Development

Woo Jang-choon (우장춘) was a world-renowned plant breeder who worked in Japan. As an agronomist researching breeding science, a field that combined genetics and crop improvement, he conducted research from 1937 at the research farm of Takii Seed Company in Japan, where he worked on improving vegetable seeds such as cabbage, radish, and Chinese cabbage. […]

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