A Postcard used in 1945, the last year of Japanese occupation of Korea

Forward Note by Bob Finder: The following article by one of our members of the Korea Stamp Society (KSS) shows one of the key values of being a member of the KSS; that value is the gaining of new information about Korean philately from other members. With the collaboration of six different members of the […]

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Reusing a 1946 postal card to create a 1950 postal ID

During the Korean War (1950-1953) and for at least a decade after the war South Korea (ROK) was counted amongst the poorest nations in the world. As late as the early 1960s the average Ethiopian or Ugandan was richer than the average South Korean. And yes, even the average North Korean was (probably) richer than […]

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ROK Samiljeol Commemorative Military Post Card used in 1952

Shown here is a military post card used in 1952. The card is a commemorative card, printed to commemorate “Samil Day”. The following extract about Samiljeol is from a 1943 booklet authored by New Ilhan entitled Korea and the Pacific War which was based on a report he prepared for the Office of Strategic Services […]

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Post cards commemorating the ROK 1955 Expo

Two post cards, part of a set commemorating the ROK 1955 Expo. These two post cards were made by the Huimangsa 希望社 · 製 for the industrial exhibition commemorating the tenth anniversary of liberation 解放十週年產業博覽會記念. This refers to August 15, 1945, commemorated in both the ROK and DPRK as the date Korea was liberated from […]

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The Story of Monsieur Charles Aleveque

Charles Aleveque (known in Korea as An Ryebaek, -晏禮百) made and distributed the first photographic postcards in Korea, published a French-Korean dictionary, and represented the Korean Government at the 1900 Paris Exposition. As a representative for a French trading company, he worked for trade between Korea and France, importing modern materials for the government of […]

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The Story of Monsieur Tremoulet

Following the opening of Korea’s ports to international commerce in the 1880s, the Government recognized the importance of developing modern methods of mining. On September 4, 1900, the ‘Governmental Mining School’ to promote industrial education was established. The officials of the school were to be the principal, a superintendent, four trainers, an assistant trainer, and […]

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Postal stationery used in Northern Korea (II): Japanese 5 sen Nanko card 1945-1947

Preface: This series of articles derive from discussions among several KSS member collectors. Some of them are interested in collecting Korean (and Japanese) philatelic items but feel confused in distinguishing different surcharges of early Korean postal stationeries since they cannot read Hanja and Hangul. See here for part I about the usage of these cards […]

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Postal stationery used in Northern Korea (I): Japanese colonial era 1944-1945

Preface: This series of articles derive from discussions among several KSS member collectors. Some of them are interested in collecting Korean (and Japanese) philatelic items but feel confused in distinguishing different surcharges of early Korean postal stationeries since they cannot read Hanja and Hangul.

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Postal cards issued for 70th anniversary of Korean War

(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 30 December 2020 KoreaPost issued a set of four postal cards to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. The cards show several types of imagery, including medals and war artists’ drawings. The cards come in two distinctly different designs, one with a large image […]

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Postal cards for 2020 “National Stamp Exhibition” issued

(News from 우정사업본부 / KoreaPost) On 4 December 2020 KoreaPost issued a set of four postal cards to commemorate the 2020 National Stamp Exhibition (2020 전국우표전시회). These cards are the first new postal cards issued by KoreaPost in 2020, the most recent (previous) issue was for the 2019 stamp exhibition. Due to the corona virus […]

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Reader’s Question: is this 1948 North Korean card real or not…?

Is this card and the cancellations on it real or fake? I’m not sure if I’m qualified enough to certify this card, but as a serious DPRK collector I think this card has a 95-99% possibility to be fake. In fact, in my personal opinion, this card is totally fake: the card itself is fake, […]

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Korea’s economic development through postal history (Saemaul Undong Card, 1978)

Part of a series of 5 cards issued at 10 won each in 1978 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the (South) Korean state, this card (CPC4) shows an important development in South Korean society. During the 1960s and 1970s South Korea tried to develop its economy. No efforts were spared to create a stronger […]

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The Korean Language and How to Read DPRK Military Postcards

For anyone studying Korean postage stamps and postal stationery, understanding the structure of the Korean language and the Korean alphabet will enrich the understanding of any material which you have. The Korean language is highly structured and regular. Some sixty percent of its vocabulary derives from written Chinese (called in Korean Hanja 漢字).

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Methodist mission address “IPO Box 1182” in Seoul

From the late 1800s a lot of Christian missionary activity took place in Korea. Given that these people usually were very well educated they inevitably wrote home. Many of these letters including the envelopes in which they were sent were saved by the recipients. In recent years with the passing of many of the post-World […]

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