Postage stamps and postal history of North Korea

Postage stamps are issued by the Korea Stamp Corporation.^[1] North Korea issues copious amounts of stamps.^[2] Since the 1970s, the country has outproduced South Korea in terms of issuance.^[3] The stamps tend to portray patriotic and nationalist themes and are used as a form of propaganda,^[4] but some of them have little connection with the country.^[2] The country has been a member of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie since 15 June 1965. There is a museum, the Korea Stamp Museum, dedicated to philately in the country.^[1]

Kim Bong-han stamp issued in 1964

History

Korea Stamp shop in Pyongyang

The first stamps of North Korea were issued on 12 March 1946:^[5] Rose of Sharon and Samson Rock.^[1] Stamps prior to 1974 dealt primarily with subjects relating specifically to North Korea, its foundation, Kim Il Sung and other patriotic themes. After 1974, in a bid to bring more hard currency into the country, North Korea began issuing stamps with wide-ranging themes (such as Joan of Arc, airships, sports and wildlife) and using English descriptions.^[6]

Wording on the stamps is mostly in Korean. The term "DPR Korea" is written in English.

See also

• North Korean Postal Service
• Postage stamps and postal history of South Korea
• Postage stamps and postal history of Korea