Author: Yong Yi

From 2000 to 2006 I visited North Korea 15 times, each time during 4 weeks. During those 4 weeks, I spent weekends and rainy days in the hotel (Mt. Myohyang or Chong Chon Hotel). Also, on my departure from the country, I spent 3 to 4 days in the capital Pyongyang (Yang Gak Do Hotel) […]

The design of the 2004 Lunar New Year stamp (Scott A1942, KSC4321) is adorable. A young boy and girl playing in Korean traditional clothing (Hanbok, or 한복) on Lunar New Year’s Day (Seollal or 설날), both relating to Korean culture. The design shows the political and economic changes in North Korea at the time (due […]

A question from one of our KSS members: are these stamps real, fake, or a reprint? The stamps in this partial sheet were part of a batch of 1961 and earlier North Korean stamps. These 10 stamps (2×5) are from a sheet of 70 jeon 1959 “Peaceful Reunification of Korea” stamps (Scott 175a / A141; […]

Mt. Myohyang Hotel, summer of 2003. I was doing my morning walk around the hotel lobby and saw the telephone booth lady putting out a display tray of stamps in the display cabinet. After she had finished displaying, she started to cut sheet stamps to individual stamps to replenish the display trays. This is when […]