Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
Examples of individual articles from Korean Philately magazine.
A collection of South Korean stamps formed by Robert C. Jones (1915-1999), one of the most active members of the Korea Stamp Society during its early decades, will be offered by Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions in August 2026. The collection appears as Lot 1513 in Kelleher Sale 851, Collections, Stocks & Accumulations of the World. […]
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As many collector get older (the author is 79 years old) many, if not most, philatelic collectors realize that they probably are not going to able to find and/or afford the stamps or philatelic related subjects, such as covers, that they have been looking for during their collecting years. Many simply decide to sell their […]
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(Editor’s Note: Years ago when scanning the membership list it seemed to us that there were only 12 current members with numbers below 100. We suggested to Ye Treas that he do a “short article” on the 12 — the “Dirty Dozen?” – – and he eventually responded with this happily long report on the […]
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One of the trade exhibitors that I had the good fortune to meet in Seoul, was Brebner Print of New Zealand. Represented at the show by General Manager Ricky Howes and Matt Tobin, Stamp Product Manager, Brebner is a privately-owned NZ business located in Napier. The company, established in 1978, entered into the stamp printing […]
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The fourth Christmas and New Year stamps issued by Korea were released December 15, 1960. They are a 15 hwan, ochre, bluish gray and dark brown, a 25 hwan, red, green and purplish blue, a 30 hwan, yellow, red and bluish purple; lithographed, impression 22 mm x 25 mm, perf. 13, granite paper, watermarked, sheets […]
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My flights are finally booked for my trip to PhilaKorea! This time I will be attending with added responsibility – as the UK Commissioner. I have received a few entries – none of them remotely connected with Korean material – so the ‘official’ nature of my visit is confirmed. Chances are that more UK exhibitors […]
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In 1946, during the era of the US Military Government in South Korea, Japanese stamps were overprinted. These overprinted stamps, which are part of the 1946 year set, are later showcased in this edition of KP. Although common and of relatively low catalogue value, we present a more exceptional and costly variant: stamps adorned with […]
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Mr. William T. Hartman # 171, reports on F.D.C. of # 55-60, of #55-60. Of # 55 he says very few exist, probably less than 50. He sets the date as February 14, 1946. (46.2.14)
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As we step into 2025, we at the Korea Stamp Society (KSS) extend our heartfelt New Year greetings to all philatelists and collectors across the globe. Since our inception in 1951, the KSS has been committed to fostering a community that shares a passion for Korean philately, connecting enthusiasts who appreciate the history, art, and […]
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In 1956 a delegation of ten Korean Boy Scouts and two leaders were on a tour of the United States and were invited to spend a few days in the area of Chicago, Illinois. Each of the Scouts and leaders stayed in the homes of Scouts in Winnetka, Ill. One of the leaders was William […]
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After the Japanese were defeated in WW2, Koreans wanted to establish a nation state of their own on the peninsula. But which political direction would they, or could they, choose? Northern Korea was occupied by the Red Army, and the South was occupied by the US Army. Within a matter of weeks the new Cold […]
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This month marks the 6th anniversary of the most recent iteration of the Korean Stamp Society (KSS), probably the 5th or 6th iteration of the KSS depending on how you would like to count. Started in late 1951, the KSS went through its very first crisis within a year, but managed to survive. During the […]
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I think I have to qualify this with the phrase “at the moment” because like some collectors my passion changes according to chance discoveries and predilections, the money in my pocket and time available. This note records collecting interests between October and December 2022. I am not the distinguished collector who grinds away at a […]
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I became interested in South Korean stamps in the 1960’s. I especially liked the cute small sheets that came with most of their stamps. I really liked the prices as most of the stamps cost 9-10 cents each and the sheets were 12-15 cents each. As my interest grew I wanted to get the earlier […]
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From the first printed stamps in South Korea in 1946 after the WWII, up to around 1953, many of those issues can be found printed as imperforated stamps, double printed stamps and stamps printed on both sides. The stamps were issued by the US Military from 1946-1948. On August 15, 1948, the South Korean government […]
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Dr. Sharrocks, one of our mission doctors had brought word from the exiled Syngman Rhee to the Koreans seeking independence advising that “It is imperative that if Korea is to attain independence, the will of the people against the Japanese domination be made known to the outer world”.
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Welcome to the latest edition of Korean Philately. This is a welcome return after many months impacted by the fallout from Covid and internal reorganization. All of that is now behind us and I am delighted to take over as Editor of KP. I am confident that we will resume our normal output of four […]
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I started collecting the Postal Stationery of the DPRK as I had one or two clients who were buying North Korean postal history which was all but unobtainable in Western Europe in the 1980’s. After leaving Stanley Gibbons in 1992 to start ‘Carmichael & Todd’, I joined the KSC. I attended, with a stand, the […]
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I have been collecting stamps from North Korea for about 30 years and I can say that the philately of this country has many secrets and mysteries. The main catalogs (Scott, Michel, and Stanley Gibbons (SG)) do not provide complete and reliable information. The catalog printed in the DPRK gives distorted price information. Yes, this […]
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It seems like only yesterday when I first learned of the Society. As I began collecting, two older established dealers suggested I focus on collecting stamps of the group of countries often identified as “U.S. Possessions”. Bright and colourful, the cost of many of them in that era was perfect for a beginning but enthusiastic […]
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