Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
Subjects related to the philatelic history of South Korea.
Woo Jang-choon (우장춘) was a world-renowned plant breeder who worked in Japan. As an agronomist researching breeding science, a field that combined genetics and crop improvement, he conducted research from 1937 at the research farm of Takii Seed Company in Japan, where he worked on improving vegetable seeds such as cabbage, radish, and Chinese cabbage. […]
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On May 1, 1957, a 30-hwan crane (鶴) postcard for foreign mail was issued, corresponding to the surface-mail postcard rate for overseas destinations. The design depicted one crane (鶴) and the double “hui” character, “喜” → “囍.” The printing colour was blue, and the paper was light yellow paper, 0.23–0.39 mm thick. It was printed […]
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The election for members of the National Assembly, held in South Korea (남한) alone on 10 May 1948, was the first election in Korean history to be conducted according to the principles of universal, equal, direct and secret suffrage.
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The stamp issued on September 15, 1951, the “UN Forces Countries of Origin Commemorative Stamp”, has slightly different names depending on the catalog, but collectors simply call it the “Korean War Participating Nations Stamp.”
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The following text provides additional details to the article titled “Questions Surrounding the Manufacture of the Sheets Presented to the Participating Nations” which appeared in the November 2025 issue of the Woopyo (우표) magazine (and in translation on the KSS website). In truth, it is impossible to organize these complex Participation Sheets (참전 쉬트) in […]
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Starting from this issue of Woopyo (January 2026), I intend to publish a series focusing on special mail items and unique postal history covers (우편실체) following the liberation (광복) in 1945.
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This set of stamps (SG 844 – 847), issued on 5 March, 1970, depicts the Tale of the Heavenly Maiden and the Woodcutter. Like the Tale of K’ongjwi and P’atjwi – the Korean version of the Story of Cinderella, this tale is the Korean version of another of the world’s most wide-spread and historic tales, […]
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This article, originally published in the September 2025 issue of the Korean philatelic magazine Woopyo, examines the 1969 semi-postal issue known as the Searchlight Donation Fund Stamp. Intended to raise money for maritime safety and national defense during a time of heightened tensions, the stamp was based on the 7-won Taegeukgi definitive with an added […]
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This article, published in the June 2024 issue of Woopyo (우표) magazine, continues Kim Heon-sik’s (김헌식) ongoing series of in-depth studies on Korea’s definitive stamp issues. In this installment, the author examines the second series of Republic of Korea definitive stamps, with a particular focus on the ₩1,000 “Heavenly Maidens Offering” (천인공양도) stamp printed by […]
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Among the sheets presented to the participating nations issued between 1951 and 1952, there is a mixture of two types: those manufactured on the same printing plate together with the stamps arranged side by side, and those manufactured from a printing plate composed solely of the sheets without any stamps. The former takes the form […]
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This set of stamps (SG 839-842), depicting the Tale of the Origin of the Sun and Moon’, was issued on 5 January, 1970. The previous set of stamps (SG 828 -831) narrated the Tale of the Rabbit’s Liver. The setting of the narrative is entirely fanciful with speaking turtles, rabbits, and the appearance of the […]
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This article, written by Kim Jeong-seok (김정석) and published in the November 2025 issue of Woopyo, examines the 1960 World Refugee Year commemorative stamp, souvenir sheet, and first day cover. It summarizes their design, production details, and postal distribution. The piece also highlights how these issues reflected Korea’s early use of philately for international goodwill.
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This article, published in the October 2025 issue of Woopyo Magazine, is the fourteenth part of a series on Korea’s Tourist Date Cancellations. It examines Gwangju (광주), highlighting the landmarks, cultural sites, and natural features that have appeared on these postmarks, along with their design changes and periods of use.
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Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city and its number one trading port. It is composed of 1 metropolitan city and 15 districts. Tourist postmark designs used in Busan include: Yongdusan Park, Taejongdae, Yeongdo Bridge, Gwangandaegyo (Gwangan Bridge), Busandaegyo (Busan Bridge), Nakdongdaegyo (Nakdong River Bridge), Oryukdo, Dongnae Yaryu (masked dance), Dongnae Hot Springs and open-air foot […]
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On November 11, 2022, following an announcement from Korea Post (No. 2022-206, issued September 16, 2022), two new high-value definitive stamps were issued: a 1,000 won stamp featuring a Daegeum design and a 2,530 won stamp with a Cheonmachong Gwanmo design. These are South Korea’s first security-printed stamps. Printed by the Korea Minting and Security […]
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This article, published in the September 2025 issue of Woopyo Magazine, is the thirteenth part of a series on Korea’s Tourist Date Cancellations. It examines Daegu (대구), highlighting the landmarks, cultural sites, and natural features that have appeared on these postmarks, along with their design changes and periods of use.
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The purpose of this stamp’s issuance was to purchase helicopters as part of establishing a self-reliant national defense with the strength of the entire nation, in order to counter the mass infiltration of armed communist guerillas from North Korea. At the time, the stamp’s issuance was promoted under the names of the Minister of Communications […]
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This article, published in Woopyo Magazine, originally from the philatelic research of Choi Tae-yoon (최태윤) (a member of the Korean Special Postmarks Society (관광통신일부인동호회)), explores the special postmarks, known as “tourist postmarks” or “special cancellation marks,” used at various beaches along the southern coast of Korea.
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We have already looked at the Tale of Hŭngbu and Nŏlbu, the story of a poor but virtuous younger brother and a rich but greedy older brother, which appeared on a set of four stamps issued in 1970. We noted that the story consisted of two contrasting sections which emphasised the rewards for kind and […]
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Published in Woopyo, the Korean‑language stamp magazine issued by the Korean Philatelic Federation, this article by Yasushi Suzuki (with translation and notes by Jin Hur) examines the so‑called “bizarre gum‑coated paper” found on Korean issues around 1983. Drawing on catalog remarks, portal records, and mint documentation, it identifies affected definitive and commemorative stamps and explains […]
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