Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
A group of North Korean covers and postal stationery offered as lots 2957–2976 in the Christoph Gärtner 66th Auction provides a compact view of postal use during the first years of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The material is varied: ordinary inland letters, registered mail, air mail, foreign destinations, postal stationery and a small […]
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After the Imo Soldiers’ Riot (임오군란, 1882), the “Regulations for Maritime and Overland Trade Between Korean and Chinese Merchants” (조청상민수륙무역장정, 商民水陸貿易章程, October 1882) were concluded, which significantly increased China’s economic influence. Following this, the Gapsin Coup (갑신정변, 1884) created political turmoil in Joseon, while Chinese interference in domestic affairs intensified further. Having lost political influence […]
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As an example of a postal rate that is difficult to explain, this April 1950 cover should come as no surprise to collectors of North Korean postal history. What makes it special, is the rate, 20 won. This is the highest pre-Korean War franking that I have recorded in nearly 20 years of specialising in […]
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In general, POW mail was an arrangement operated under the supervision of the camp commander (POW administrator), serving as a humanitarian system that allowed prisoners to send and receive letters. Today, it is widely used in various thematic philatelic exhibits. The basic principles of POW mail were established in the annex of the Convention with […]
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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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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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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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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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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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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, 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 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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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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This article was originally published in Korean in the September 2025 issue of Woopyo magazine. It presents a detailed study of the introduction and operation of temporary post offices (임시우체사) during the late Joseon period, focusing on the ordinances, administrative changes, and jurisdictional shifts that shaped Korea’s postal system at the turn of the 20th […]
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This article, written by Yasushi Suzuki (鈴木康嗣 / 스즈키 야스시) and Eun Jong-ho (은종호) of the Korea Postal Card Society (한국우편엽서회), was originally published in Woopyo (우표) magazine (August 2024). It presents a richly detailed study of Korea’s first and most iconic aerogram, the Dabotap Aerogram (다보탑 항공서간), issued in 1956, tracing its development through […]
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This article is part of the ongoing Postal Studies of Korea (우정탐구) series written by Baegun Nam Sang-uk (白雲 남상욱), President of the Korean Philatelic Society (대한우표회). The series, published in Woopyo magazine, explores little-known aspects of Korea’s early postal history through original documentary research. The present installment (Part 1) examines the origins and operation […]
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This article, originally published in the September 2025 issue of Woopyo, the official journal of the Korean Philatelic Federation (KPF), explores little-known aspects of Korea’s foreign postal rates via the Siberian Railway. It was translated from Korean for publication on the Korea Stamp Society (KSS) website to make this important research accessible to an international […]
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