Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
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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Before email became the preferred tool of direct marketers, one of the most common ways to solicit orders or gather commercial leads was by sending large quantities of business-to-business mail through the postal system. For postal operators this was a significant source of revenue, and advertising cards, circulars, reply cards and enquiry forms were a […]
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When the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Russian Pacific Fleet stationed at Port Arthur (旅順港) on February 8, 1904, thereby igniting the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government established the “Regulations on Military Mail” (Imperial Ordinance No. 19) and the “Military Mail Rules” (Ministry of Communications Official Notice No. 6). These measures allowed […]
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The Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation between Korea and the United States (United States–Chosun Treaty of 1882) was concluded in Jemulpo on May 22, 1882 (April 6 in the lunar calendar) between the plenipotentiaries Shin Heon (申櫶) and Kim Hong-jip (金弘集) of Korea and Robert Wilson Shufeldt (1822–1895), the plenipotentiary of the United […]
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The period during which the temporary post offices (임시우체사) remained in existence was a long one, amounting to about 7 years and 2 months. It began in April 1898 and lasted until the end of June 1905. However, very few extant covers have been discovered so far, and genuinely used postcards cannot be found at […]
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On September 20, 1875 (the 12th year of King Gojong, 21st day of the 8th lunar month), the Unyo incident (雲揚號, now usually written as Unyangho) occurred. Following this, Korea and Japan concluded the “unequal treaty” known as the Treaty of Ganghwa on February 27, 1876 (3rd day of the 2nd lunar month). The official […]
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The postal rate (郵遞料金) was increased from 1 jeon to 3 jeon, and with the issuance of the Plum Blossom stamps (Ihwa stamps), genuinely used examples bearing the Ihwa 3-jeon stamp became more common than earlier genuine usages of the Taegeuk stamps with surcharges or overprints.
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Japan, being geographically close, had long engaged in both exchanges and conflicts with Korea, including the Sampho Waeran (三浦倭亂, Japanese Disturbance of the Three Ports, 1510), the Eulmyo Waebyeon (乙卯倭變, Japanese Disturbance of 1555), the Imjin Waeran (壬辰倭亂, Japanese Invasion of 1592), and the Jeongyu Jaeran (丁酉再亂, Second Japanese Invasion of 1597). There were also […]
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This article, written by Kim Seong-cheol (김성철, 金成哲) of the Korea Collectors Club (한국수집가클럽), was published in the April 2024 issue of Woopyo Magazine. It examines the establishment, operation, and eventual closure of Japanese field post offices and the use of postal marks during the First Sino-Japanese War (청일전쟁, 淸日戰爭). Drawing on both Japanese military […]
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Even before the implementation of the postal system, letters were actively exchanged between individuals, groups, and institutions. In personal correspondence, people exchanged greetings, communicated about matters both large and small, and even conducted transactions of goods. For organizations and institutions, many of these letters would have involved the delivery of official documents. Such letters, depending […]
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In the November 2025 issue of the Monthly Postage Stamp, member Ryoo Sang-beom of the Korea-Japan Philatelic Club argued that the expression “Foreign Mail Cancellation” (Oechein), which I used in my contribution regarding datestamps used for international mail transport, was inappropriate. He proposed “Roman Letter Cancellation” (Romaja Ilbuin) as an alternative. The core of his […]
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Among the stamps of Old Korea (Empire of Korea), the Plum Blossom (Ihwa) Reprints and the Royal Commemoration (Eogeuk) Reprints are stamps produced as reprints by the Japanese Ministry of Communications or the Residency-General using the original printing plates of Old Korea following the Korea-Japan Communication Agreement. As shown in [Table 1], these were reprinted […]
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In the article by Nam Sang-uk (남상욱), President of the Korean Philatelic Association, titled “Postal Inquiry of the Korean Empire Period – Tracing the Origin of the Eunsan Postage Receipt Office’s International Handstamp (Part 1)” published in the July 2025 issue of Uphyo (『우표』), it is stated that “according to Ordinance No. 38 of the […]
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On April 1 of Gwangmu 2 (광무 2년, 1898), the establishment of temporary post offices in Gyeonggi Province (경기도 임시우체사 설치) was announced under Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry Ordinance No. 27 (농상공부령 제27호 공고). According to Ordinance No. 28 (농상공부령 제28호), announced on May 11, it was proclaimed that from May 15, temporary […]
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The Korea Philatelic Federation (한국우취연합) published Chronology of Postal Offices 1876–1945 (우체관서연혁 1876~1945) in commemoration of PHILAKOREA 2025 (필라코리아 2025). It organizes, by office, the histories of the Post Office Department (우정국), post offices (우체사), temporary post offices (임시우체사), and Japanese Post Offices in Korea (在韓日本郵便局 / 재한일본우편국) that existed on our soil. Here, I整理 […]
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This article, published in the September 2025 issue of Woopyo magazine, explores the intricate relationship between Korea’s early postage stamps and the complex monetary systems of the late Joseon and Korean Empire periods. Written by Nam Sang-uk, president of the Korean Philatelic Association, it examines how shifting currency standards—from cash coins denominated in mun (文) […]
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This article is the fifteenth installment in Kim Seong-cheol’s (김성철) ongoing series on the History of Japanese Post Offices in Korea, published in the October 2025 issue of Woopyo Magazine. In this chapter, the author examines the development of postal services in Yongampo (용암포) and Cheongjin (청진) during the late Korean Empire period and the […]
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This article, originally published in the September 2025 issue of Woopyo Magazine (월간 우표), continues the long-running series on the history of Japanese post offices in Korea during the late Joseon (조선, 朝鮮) and Korean Empire (대한제국, 大韓帝國) periods. Written by Kim Seong-cheol (김성철) of the Korea Collectors Club (한국수집가클럽), it examines the establishment and […]
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The postal system, which had been abolished due to the Gapsin Coup immediately after its establishment in the late Joseon Dynasty, was resumed ten years later with the setup of 25 post offices. The Kyonghung (경흥) post office, located in Kyonghung County, North Hamgyong Province, was the northernmost and last to open. Consequently, it had […]
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On August 1, 1895, Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry Ordinance No. 5 announced the establishment of the Suwon Postal Office (水原郵遞司, Suwon Uchesa). The current location of the Suwon Postal Office is within Hwaseong Haenggung (華城行宮, a UNESCO World Heritage site), where it was set up within the Provincial Governor’s Office (觀察府, Gwanchalbu) to […]
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