
New Year`s Greetings

  
information on Korean stamp
| Date of Issue |
: 2001.12.03 |
| Types |
: 1 |
| Denomination |
: 170 won |
| Design |
: The horse greeting the snow |
| Stamp No. |
: 2187 |
Printing Process
& Colors |
: Photogravure, six colors (photostorage stamp) |
| Size of Stamp |
: 26×36 |
WholeSheet
Composition |
: 4×5 |
| Image Area |
: 23×33 |
| Paper |
: White Unwatermarked |
| Perforation |
: 13 |
| Printer |
: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation |
| Designer |
: Park,Eun-kyung |
| Quantity |
: 2000000 |
Detail
`The year 2002 is the year of the horse. Since ancient times, the first day of the horse in January was referred to as `sang-o` day. Rites were performed in honor of the horse and special dishes were prepared to recognize their services. Soybean was made into soy sauce and vegetables were also pickled into Kimchi on this day. `Dongguksesigi`, a book on the annual ceremonies and customs of ancient Korea compiled during the Joseon dynasty, comments on the traditional customs observed on the day of the horse in October. Steam rice cakes were prepared on this day to be taken to the stables and prayers were offered to the gods for the health of the horses.
Horses were the symbol of authority and were used to heighten the legitimacy and authority of the rulers in myths and folklores. Horses were also symbols that suggested the emergence fo kings. The flying horses that appear in myths of ancient tomb murals were very intelligent animals that communicated with Heaven. King Hyeokgeose, the founder of the Shilla Kingdom, is said to have been born from an egg delivered by a horse while Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo Kingdom, supposedly ascended to heaven after passing through the ground riding a kylin.
The New Year`s Greetings Stamp is the nation`s very first photostorage stamp. photostorage ink containing phosphorescent pigment is used to print the stamps that glow in the dark. The new year`s greetings stamp that bears the image of `the horse greeting the snow` will usher in the year of the horse with all the hopes for a healthy and prosperous year.`
