Detail

`The Ministry of Communications, designating six days from October 24 through 29, 1978, as the Sixth Philatelic Week, will hold a national exhibition of postage stamps during that period for the encouragement and promotion of stamp collecting as a most remunerative and sound hobby among the general public. Korea issued its first postage stamps in 1884, the 21st year of Emperor Kojong, follwing the inauguration of modern postal service. A total of 55 kinds of stamps were issued by the end of the Yi Dynasty, and stamps issued in Korea since its Liberation in 1945 total 1,110 kinds, bringing the grand total to postage stamps issued in this country up to 1,165 kinds. Today, the number of stamp collectors throughout the world is estimated to exceed 50 million by far, and there are more than 300,000 Koreans who enjoy collecting postage stamps. Philatelic organizations outnumbering 2,500 are scattered throuhgout the Republic of Korea. A special postage stamp is to be issued by the Ministry of Communications in observance of the Sixth Philatelic Week, with a painting of an attractive lady by renowned genre painter Shin Yoon­bok(1758??) of the latter Yi Dynasty as its design. The painting of a standing lady, drawn on a sheet of sild in light coloring, measures 114.5㎝ in length and 45.8㎝ in width and is presently preserved at Kansong Museum of Arts in Seoul. A pure­hearted and younger­looking lady clad in a very refined way smils graciously, showing off her glossy hair. Her snow­white hands are holding a traditional decoration of handicraft with three ornamental balls of quartz. A purple hair­ribbon hanging down leftwards and her crescent­shaped eyebrows, lengthy and slender, along with the fluffy hair behind the ears?all these add to the fresh and enchanting beaury of this lady in portrait.`