YONG S YI, Author at Korea Stamp Society

North Korean stamps: examples

August 1, 2020June 9, 2020 YONG S YI4421 Comment

To many collectors the basic rule of stamp collecting is to collect quality stamps. Generally speaking that means buying stamps in mint condition which could be used as an investment to fetch top dollar in the future. However, the collection as shown here are simply my stamp purchases done while staying in North Korea. Such […]

Some more examples of North Korean stamp varieties

November 6, 2019July 22, 2019 YONG S YI527Leave a Comment

Whether its intentional or simply a mistake, there are is no shortage of varieties of North Korean stamps. Stamp varieties make collecting fun and they are a big part of our hobby. The varieties you look for depend on your preferences as a collector. Errors during printing are among the most highly desired stamp varieties.

Use that paper! Sheet variations of the DPRK

October 2, 2019October 18, 2019 YONG S YI651Leave a Comment

It all started with curiosity. I knew that I had a lot of stamps but didn’t really knew them. Like a normal person, the first thing that came across my mind was is it worth any money? With the help of Mr. Chen Yi Fu and Ivo Spanjersberg, I began to understand the value and […]

Recognizing DPRK Reprints Part II: 1951 to 1956

June 29, 2019August 27, 2019 YONG S YI16056 Comments

Is the current market condition a buyer’s market or seller’s market? The price one pays for a stamp or stamps depends on the condition and rarity. Also, supply and demand dictate current prices in the market place. The current condition of the market is a buyer’s market. The flood of North Korean stamps which started […]

Reader’s Question: Imperforated Scott 429 / KSC 393

May 18, 2019May 14, 2019 YONG S YI15222 Comments

The picture below is the 1962 Scott #429 / KSC #393 imperforated 10 jeon “Launch of Soviet Manned Rockets Vostok 3&4”. The KSC does mention an imperforated version. However, the Scott catalog does not mention an imperforated version of this stamp. I wonder how many of our readers have seen or possess this stamp?

Recognizing DPRK Reprints Part I: 1955 to 1957

April 21, 2019August 27, 2019 YONG S YI14659 Comments

Internet is where most people buy and sell stamps today. In the months leading up to the February 2019 US – DPRK summit in Hanoi, there were massive unloads of North Korean stamps on the internet. This presented a good entry point for beginning collectors like myself to acquire some early North Korean stamps. However, […]

North Korea Stamp Color Variation

March 6, 2019March 14, 2019 YONG S YI121916 Comments

Stamps with different colors were used to indicate different denominations until multicolored stamps appeared along with the development of color printing techniques. The majority of modern stamps are still of a single color design. In the early days of printing stamps, inks were made up in batches as needed and the colors were inconsistent. In […]

Domestic Printing Versus International Printing Of DPRK Stamps (III)

November 7, 2018September 27, 2018 YONG S YI839Leave a Comment

Previously I have written an article on North Korea’s “Remarkable Tourist Market Sheet” stamps. KSS member Mr. Chen Yi-Fu stated that the article referred to so-called “stamps for domestic use”. In the Korean Stamp Catalogue, the 2 stamps are No. 3758 & 3760, issued in 8×3 small sheets for international collectors. He also mentioned that […]

How I became a novice DPRK stamp collector

October 6, 2018August 30, 2018 YONG S YI8851 Comment

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) […]

How tourism created DPRK sheet size variations

September 16, 2018August 21, 2018 YONG S YI7971 Comment

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 […]

1959 “Peaceful Reunification of Korea” stamps: real, fake, or a reprint?

September 11, 2018January 27, 2019 YONG S YI12129 Comments

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; […]

The remarkable DPRK “tourist market” sheets

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018 YONG S YI8322 Comments

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 […]

My Stamp Purchasing Experiences in North Korea

June 11, 2018June 2, 2019 YONG S YI1129Leave a Comment

(Originally from KP May 2012, Vol. 54, No. 2) I had visited North Korea 15 times from 2000 to 2006 with a duration of 4 weeks each. Each time I visited, I bought many souvenirs back to the US for friends and family. Souvenirs included silver coins, books, magazines, DPRK currency, and stamps.