The new year of Byeong-o (병오) has dawned. On the occasion of the New Year, I pray that the health of all philatelists (우취인) and the peace and good fortune of your families will be abundant. It is said that the year of Byeong-o (병오) is the year of the Red Horse. It is said that Byeong (丙) corresponds to the energy of fire and signifies change, a leap forward, and vitality. It is said that O (午) symbolizes the horse, meaning the driving force to run toward a path, movement, expansion, and goal-orientation. Furthermore, the horse is a wise animal. It is said that during the Spring and Autumn period (춘추시대), when Duke Huan of Qi (제나라 환공) was wandering lost during a war with the state of Gojuk (고죽국), Guan Zhong (관중) released an old horse to find the way.
Also, it is said that during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (당나라 태종), when Monk Xuanzang (현장법사) was traveling alone to India to seek Buddhist scriptures, he encountered great trouble getting lost in sandstorms and foul weather while crossing the Gobi Desert after passing the Pamir Plateau (파미르고원), but the horse he was riding followed past experiences to find the path and escaped the verge of death. In the New Year, like the Red Hare (적토마) that once galloped across the world as it pleased, I pray that everything you do, fellow philatelists (우취인), will proceed smoothly and be fulfilled according to your wishes (여의형통).
