Detail

“The rivers unconditionally provide for all living things and do not ask for anything in return,” recited Koo Sang, a renowned Korean poet, about rivers. To introduce Korea’s beautiful rivers that serve as umbilical cords for life, new stamps are issued for the next fours years under the name of “Rivers of Korea Series,” with the first series featuring the four seasons around the Nakdong River. Starting from Hambaek Mountain in Gangwon Province’s Taebaek area, the Nakdong River winds through South Gyeongsang Province into the South Sea. Meandering 525㎞ in length and containing 23,800㎢ in its basin area, the Nakdong River is the second longest river in the Korean peninsula after the Amnok River. The name “Nakdong River” means the river that flows in the East of Gaya Kingdom. However, not just the Gaya Kingdom but also some prehistoric countries and the Silla Kingdom formed around the Nakdong River basin and established their cultures there. Since then, the Nakdong River has witnessed our people’s joys and sorrows such as the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, the Korean war, Korea’s modernization, industrialization, etc. becoming the very foundation of life. Rich in nutrition during all four seasons and not freezing over even in the winter, the river provides a fine environment for living things. The Nakdong River basin is home to about 150 botanical species and various kinds of other living creatures ranging from protozoan to fish and birds. Especially, the Eulsuk Island, located at the mouth of the Nakdong river, is a renowned habitat for migratory birds such as swans, eastern reef egrets, black-headed gulls, Chinese egrets, herons, hooded cranes, and others.