Extreme Sports Series (3rd) - September 5, 2008


Title: Extreme Sports Series (3rd)
Types: 4
Date of Issue: September 5, 2008
Quantity: 600,000 stamps each
Denomination: 250 won
Design: Snowboard (Carving turn, Indy grab, Nose grab, Air)
Stamp No.: 2638 ~ 2641
Photogravure, five colors: Photogravure, four colors (self-adhesive stamp)
Size of Stamp: 30mm x 40mm
Image Area: 27mm x 37mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet Composition: 4 × 4(four stamps setenant, 150㎜ × 210㎜)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: PARK, Eunkyung
Printer: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

Snowboarding is featured as the third installment in the Extreme Sports series.

Snowboarding is a sport that requires riding a long plank-shaped board down a snowy slope that enables spinning and remarkable maneuvers. Snowboarding is seen as having sprung from “Snurfer” (a compound word combining “snow” and “surfer”) -- a kind of toy made for his daughter by Sherman Poppen from U.S. in 1965. It is said that Snurfer was so popular at the time that even Snurfer contests were held. In snowboarding, where the board and boots are fastened with binding, a kind of fixing device, there are two different types: “alpine style” and “free style.”

Snowboarding, which has a relatively short history, has come into the spotlight as a people’s world winter sports since it was selected as an official sport event in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games. In Korea, snowboarding started in the early 1990s, rapidly spreading through the Internet, and great snowboarding competitors contending for glory on the world stage are now being produced.

The new stamp features such snowboarding technique as Carving turn, Indy grab, Nose grab, Air, etc.

14th World ARDF Championships - September 2, 2008


Title: 14th World ARDF Championships
Types: 1
Date of Issue: September 2, 2008
Quantity: 1.6 million stamps
Denomination: 250 won
Design: Player and foxgun
Stamp No.: 2637
Photogravure, five colors: Offset, four colors
Size of Stamp: 26mm x 36mm
Image Area: 23mm x 33mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet Composition: 4 × 5(140㎜ × 216㎜)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: SHIN, Jaeyong
Printer: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

The 14th World ARDF Championships will be held from September 2 to 7, 2008, in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi-do.

ARDF (Amateur Radio Direction Finding), which indicates locating radio’s direction, is a type of leports (leisure/sports) for amateur radio operators. In the competition, contestants compete to find the 5 radio senders hidden in the hillocks within a 6 to 10㎞ radius by using a wave receiver (called foxgun), map, and compass. The competitor who finds the most in the shortest amount of time within the pre-determined time limit is recognized as the winner. In about 160 countries across the world, there are a total of 3 million amateur radio operators, who enjoy this hobby through the Morse code-based telecommunication or voice telecommunication. The ARDF contest is just another variety that has newly emerged in the field of amateur radio operation. The ARDF competition, which allows contestants to hone their mind and body and saves lives during disasters, is providing a new type of enjoyment among existing amateur radio operators. In Korea, there are about 200,000 amateur radio operators, with the number of Koreans participating in ARDF competitions steadily increasing. The World ARDF Championships, which was first held in 1980, is held every 2 years under the auspices of IARU (International Amateur Radio Union). More than 450 participants from around 30 countries will draw together for this 14th round of the ARDF Championships.

A new stamp is issued to commemorate the 14th round of the World ARDF Championships. It is hoped that this competition will provide a momentum to stimulate public interest and participation in amateur radio.

Seoul Waterworks Centennial - September 1, 2008


Title: Seoul Waterworks Centennial
Types: 1
Date of Issue: September 1, 2008
Quantity: 1.6 million stamps
Denomination: 250 won
Design: Arisu, Seoul’s tap water
Stamp No.: 2636
Photogravure, five colors: Offset, six colors
Size of Stamp: 26mm x 36mm
Image Area: 26mm x 33mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet Composition: 4 × 5 (140㎜ × 2 13㎜)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: KIM, Sojeong
Printer: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

The year 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the introduction of modern water supply system into Seoul.

At the end of 19th century, with the opening of Korea to foreign influences, both natives and foreigners flowed into cities, sharply driving up the volume of the urban population. Water from wells and rivers, which were then used as water for sustenance, proved insufficient to supply this growing population. Moreover, such waterborne epidemics such as cholera spread increasing the need to address the issue of hygiene. To tackle these issues, King Gojong in 1903 granted H. Collbran from the U.S. and H. R. Bostwick from England the right to install and operate water supply facilities, spurring the construction of the modern water supply facilities. After two years of construction works, water collection and treatment plants were built and water pipes were laid. As the Ddookdo water treatment plant was completed at a site which is now in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul city, 12,500㎥ water started to be supplied to 125,000 residents living within Seoul’s 4 gates and around the Yongsan area on September 1, 1908. This marks the beginning of the history of modern water supply system in Seoul. With the construction of this modern water supply system, numerous innovative changes were adopted: it not only provided water, but also prevented waterborne epidemics, reduced losses caused by fires and facilitated industrial activities. From then on, Seoul’s water supply system has been developed dramatically. As of the end of 2007, the volume of water production at six water treatment centers per day totalled 5.1 million ㎥, with the water-supplied population reaching 10.42 million. This is an immense quantitative growth from 1908, compared to which, water production volume increased 408 fold and water-supplied population, 84 fold. Under the brand name of “Arisu,” Seoul’s water supply system pursues the creation of new value, while at the same time, providing 10 million Seoul citizens with clean, safe and high-quality tap water through the Arisu quality certification system and introduction of increasingly advanced water treatment systems.

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of construction of Seoul water supply system, a new stamp is issued. It is hoped that all Seoulites can live a healthy and rich life through clean and safe water, and that we, who are living in a “water-stressed” country, can practice water conservation and live our daily lives with the spirit of loving and valuing water.

Centennial of the Korean Language Society - August 29, 2008


Title: Centennial of the Korean Language Society
Types: 1
Date of Issue: August 29, 2008
Quantity: 1.6 million stamps
Denomination: 250 won
Design: “Hannara Mal” written by Ju Sigyeong
Stamp No.: 2635
Photogravure, five colors: Photogravure, six colors
Size of Stamp: 50mm x 22mm
Image Area: 50mm x 22mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet Composition: 4 × 5 (230㎜ × 145㎜)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: SHIN, Jaeyong
Printer: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

“Its language defines a country. If its language ascends, the country also rises and if its language descends, the country plummets. Therefore, all nations must take particular care in maintaining and upgrading their languages. The alphabet is the database that delineates a language: Only when the alphabet assumes a good posture without waning and endures firmly, can it preserve the language” - quote from -Hannara Mal- written by Ju Sigyeong.

On August 31, 1908, Hangeul Hakhoe (The Korean Language Society) was established by Ju Sigyeong and others to systematically study our language and alphabet to counter the decline of Daehan Jeguk’s (Korean Empire) national prestige. Hangeul Hakhoe was at the time called Gugeoyeongu Hak-hoe (Korean language Research Society) and later changed to “Baedal Malgeul-modeum,” “Hangeulmo,” “Joseoneo Yeongu-hoe,” “Joseoneo Hakhoe” and finally into today’s Hangeul Hakhoe.

Over the past 100 years, Hangeul Hakhoe has diligently strived to safeguard, study, and disseminate the Korean language and alphabet. It established the “Hangeul (Korean Alphabet) Day” in 1926. In the 1930s, it established “Hangeul orthography” and foreign language orthography, deliberated on and systemized the standard Korean language, based on which, 『Keunsajeon』, our people’s first large-scale dictionary, was compiled and published. During such efforts, the members of the Hangeul Hakhoe were jailed, tortured, and even killed in prison by Japanese colonial rulers. Immediately after the restoration of Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule, Hangeul Hakhoe exerted special efforts to nurture Korean language teachers, compile school textbooks, and exorcise the remnants of the Japanese language. Afterwards, it steadily conducted activities designed to sustain policies to uphold the Korean language and alphabet and to use our language and alphabet correctly.

A new stamp is issued, commemorating these accomplishments of Hangeul Hakhoe over the past 100 years. The organization has consistently been committed to safeguarding and cultivating our language and alphabet - the very spirit and symbol of the Korean people. The new stamp features the work of calligrapher Seo Huihwan who quoted and wrote parts of -Hannara Mal- written by Ju Sigyeong.

The 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the Republic of Korea
- August 14, 2008


Title: The 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the Republic of Korea
Types: 1
Date of Issue: August 14, 2008
Quantity: 1.6 million stamps
Denomination: 250 won
Design: Emblem and Korea
Stamp No.: 2634
Photogravure, five colors: Photogravure, five colors
Size of Stamp: 30mm x 40mm
Image Area: 30mm x 40mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet Composition: 4 × 4(147㎜ × 200㎜)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: LEE, Gi-seok
Printer: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea.

On August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea was liberated from 36 years of ruthless Japanese colonial rule and established its own government. However, the elation of the newly found freedom was fleeting as the Korean war split the Korean people into two countries. Amidst the frustration and anguish of having lost everything, Korea became the poorest country in the world. Our fathers and mothers endured times of tears mixed with blood and sweat in the paddy fields and dry fields, industrial sites, and far-away foreign lands, in order to spare their children from famine. Our president developed economic development plans and our people participated in the Saemaeul Movement (the new community movement). And in the midst of political chaos, our people stood up against dictatorship, sacrificed their precious lives and achieved democratization. The world called our rapid growth and development, which was unprecedented anywhere else in the world, “‘Miracle on the Han River.” We also overcame the IMF economic crisis through a gold collection campaign participated in by most people of the nation.

Now, we have emerged as one of the dozen strongest economies in the world able to manufacture the world’s best semiconductors and ships. Moreover, we became a beautiful country where the 50 million Korean people became one to create the “legend of Korean national football team crossing the threshold into the World Cup semi-finals” and where numerous Korean people volunteered to clean up the muddle from the Taean oil spill accident. The proud name that allows us to sense an indescribable feeling of pride is The Republic of Korea. We believe in our people’s underlying potential. And we are secure in our belief that our inexorable journey towards becoming a world-class country has just begun.

ENTIRE COVERS!

http://wowphila.blogspot.com/

Games of the XXIX Olympiad - August 8, 2008



Title: Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Types: 1
Date of Issue: August 8, 2008
Quantity: 1.6 million stamps
Denomination: 250 won
Design: Temple of Heaven & Gymnastics
Stamp No.: 2633
Photogravure, five colors: Photogravure, six colors
Size of Stamp: 36mm x 26mm
Image Area: 36mm x 26mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet Composition: 5 x 4(216㎜ x 140㎜)
Paper: White Unwatermarked
Designer: ROH, Junghwa
Printer: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

The 29th Olympic Game will be held from August 8 to August 24, 2008 in Beijing, the capital and the center of China’s history, political affairs and culture.

Beijing Olympic Games, under the slogan of “One World, One Dream,” is conveying the message that despite different skin colors, languages and ethnicity, the entire world shares the allure and joy of the Olympic Games, pursuing mankind’s ideal toward peace, and that all people belong to and share the same world as well as the same desires and dreams. As the third Olympic Game held in Asia after the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Game and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Game, this Beijing Olympic Game will see 10,500 athletes from 205 countries compete, in good faith and on their and their fatherland’s honor, in 28 events such as swimming, field and track, soccer, gymnastics, table tennis, boat racing, and Taekwondo.

Wishing for a successful Beijing Olympic Game, a new stamp is issued. This new stamp features “gymnastics,” one of the events held in the Olympic Game, “Temple of Heaven” -- a representative relic of Beijing -- an alter where the emperor performed ancestral rites to the heaven, and the Beijing Olympic’s emblem, “Chinese seal, Dancing Beijing”. The margins of the stamp sheet features Beijing Olympic’s official mascots: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini that embody Fish, Panda, Olympic Flame, Tibetan Antelope and Swallow, respectively.