Detail

`The Ministry of Communications has released a definitive postage stamp featuring the Celadon Pitcher. The postage stamp, with a denomination of 930 won, reflects the increase in domestic postage for the standardized envelopes of registered mail of the first class, effective from August 1,1994. The Celdon Pitcher is a kettle with four pomegranates structured in two layers like weights. The body of the kettle is jade green on which white dots have been added to enhance the effect of depicting the poemgranates. The handle of the kettle resembles a curved poemgranate branch, whereas the spout is in the shape of the fruit. It is 18.4cm high with a diameter of 17.5cm and the diameter of its spout is 3.4cm. This kettle, made in the early 12th century, is exhibited at the National Museum of Korea. The Ministry of Communications has issued this postage stamp, paying tribute to the superb artistry and culture of our ancestor, while offering the convenience to its users. As of October 1, 1994, the Ministry of Communications will discontinue its present sorting system by which all mail is classified according to content and shape. Mail will instead be classified according to the speed of delivery, thereby allowing senders to decide the length of time for mail to arrive at its intended destinations. With the rising demand for faster and faster of mail, many private couriers have come into existence and many alternative methods of communications including facsimile transmission have been developed, thus taking business away from the government run postal service. In an effort to raise compertitives vis-a-vis sector deliverers, the most advenced national postal service systems in many countries around the world have turned to classifying mail by the speed of delivery. As this system has proven very successful, it behooves the Korean postal service to introduce the same system in Korea. All mail will therefore be classified as express mail or regular mail according to the speed of delivery. Express mail will arrive at its destination the very next day, and regular mail will be in transit no longer than four days since it tis postmarked. The daily deadline for post marking will be determined in consideration of the means of transportation and the required time for delivery to the target region. In hopes of making the postal system much more convenient for the public, the Ministry of Communications has issued new postage stamps for express mail service, a definitive postage stamp for the minimum weight of mail, featuring an ``airplane`` and a definitive postage stamp for the standard fee of registered mail, featuring a ``passengership``.`