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`The Ministry of Communications is issuing these first two of a series of postage stamps featuring the major government-designated national parks in order to give them broader publicity at home and abroad. The two stamps depict the following two parks. 1. Mt. Halla National Park (Designated on March 24, 1970. Area : 133 ㎢) Mt. Halla, an extinct volcano towering 1950m above sea level, is situated in the center of Cheju Island, Korea`s southernmost island province widely famed for its magnificent scenic beauty and exotic dialect spoken by the residents. Its rugged terrain, rocks of fantastic shapes, more than 1,700 species of plants of the frigid, subtropical and tropical zones and a colorful variety of birds make the mountain park a Mecca for not only alpinists but also natural scientists. Shown in the stamp is Paengnokdam, a lake formed in the mountaintop crater measuring 500m across and 3km around. The name of the lake derives from a legendary folk tale that a group of fairies used to frequent there to drink dew called ``Paengnok.`` 2. Hanryo Straits National Park (Designated on December 31, 1968. Area : 347 ㎢) The Straits of Hanryo cover such an extensive area, ranging from Kyongsang Namdo and embracing a multitude of fishing grounds and coastal croplands, that the following six areas were selected to represent the national park along the straits : Haekumgang, Hansan Island, Samchonpo, Noryang, Kumsan and Odong Islet. The stamp shows a spectacular view of Kalkot at the southern tip of Koje Island. Noted for its waterbound fantastic rock formations, this area belongs to Haekumgang whose area covers 11.1 ㎢. Koje Island, with its dense stretch of cedar trees and mild climate, offers a favorite nesting ground for birds of various species. In Changsungpo, a town in the island, stands a war memorial commemorating Adm. Yi Sun-shin`s victorious Okpo sea battle.`