Detail

`The Ministry of Information and Communication is issuing two new definitive postage stamps which will come out on September 1, 1997, when domestic postal rates are set to change. One is for 170 won, the new basic rate for pieces of ordinary mail weighing less than 25g, and the other is for 190 won for pieces if ordinary mail weighing less than 50g. The ordinary 170-won definitive stamp featurescrayfish , The crayfish belongs to the crayfish family of the class crustacean. It usually occurs in streams and lakes and feeds of snails, insect larvage, worms, and tadpoles. Different species of the crayfish have lifespans varying from one yeat to as long as 20 years. They mate in autumn and spawn in spring. The mother crayfish protects its offspring with motherly love after they hatch by keeping them attached onto its abdomen. The various species of the crayfish are distributed throughout all of Korea except Hamgyongnam-do, Hamgyongbuk-do, P`yonganbuk-do, and Ullungdo and Chejudo islands. The ordinary 190 - won definitive stamp retains theRose of Sharondesign which graced the 110-won and 120-won definitive stamps that have been in use since March 1993 and November 1995, The only change in addition to the denomination will be the background color. The Roes of Sharon, the national flower of ? is a deciduous and broadleaved flowering ? the mallow family. It typically grows from 2 to 4 in in height, and its flowers blossom from July to October, presenting a fresh appearance every morning for about three months. This hearty and robust plant is highly resistant to cold temperature and is distributed throughout the southern regions of Korea, China, India, and Japan. It is widely cultivated for gardens of hedges and has been used as a medicinal herb in both the East and West since ancient times. `