Korea Stamp – The-Philatelist

The USA issued a series of stamps that listed 13 countries overrun by the Axis during World War II. This implicitly promised USA help in the liberation. Quite a task. It is perhaps a surprise that Korea was included on the list. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Initially neutral, the USA was brought in to World War II by the Pearl Harbor attack and the subsequent German war declaration. A few years of tough fighting later, this stamp issue sets out the liberation of 13 countries as a requirement for peace. A direct manifestation of the principle of unconditional surrender the Allies agreed to. In a democracy, it is quite surprising that such a government decree received no push back. It shows what a different time it was and the kind of sacrifices countries were demanding of their people.

Todays stamp is issue A368, a five cent stamp of the USA issued in 1943-44. The thirteen stamps of the issue each had a separate country flag and all were 5 cent. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether it is mint or used.

Korea had been annexed by Japan in 1910. This was the last step of a process over the previous 60 years that had weaned the Korean Empire from being in the Chinese sphere to the sphere of Japan. At first the Korean monarchy agreed to the forced upon them Japanese concessions but over time Japan wanted more direct control and less say by China. The final annexation was agreed by the Korean Prime Minister but not the last Korean Emperor, who refused to sign and was banished.

In general terms, the Japanese treated Koreans better than they treated occupied Chinese but it was not a friendly situation. There was no draft of Koreans to serve in the Japanese forces till near the end of the war but many volunteered. The was also much movement throughout the empire of laborers, some conscripted. There was no fighting in the area during the war, and as stated above, only volunteers fought for Japan.

As such, it is surprising that Korea was listed as a place to be liberated by the USA. Japan was to be punished. This was to prove very costly for the USA. The Soviets shared a border with Korea and although they had not fought Japan till the month before, they were available to take the surrender of Japanese forces in northern Korea. Rushing to be a part of the “liberation”, the Americans rushed forces in southern Korea in late 1945. A division of Korea was agreed at the 38th parallel between the Soviets and Americans.

The Soviet puppets in North Korea sought to unite Korea by invasion in 1950. Another war and 58,000 Americans died over the next three years to prevent a united Soviet puppet Korea. We see today what a horror show North Korea turned out to be, but I wonder if the USA realized the sacrifice necessary. I wonder how much thought was given to including Korea on the list to be liberated. Perhaps not enough?

Well my drink is empty and I may poor a few more to toast the sacrifice of the USA in regards to Korea. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

North Korea’s regime survived the fall of communism. Perhaps because they modified Marxism to become self reliant and therefore less influenced by life outside. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Todays stamp is big, well printed and aimed at the international collector. Sure Giant Pandas are more to do with China than North Korea, but they are cute. Note also that the date on the stamp uses the Gregorian calendar rather than the Juche calendar used in North Korea. This easy source of foreign exchange for the Eastern Bloc did much to help specialized stamp collectors.

Todays stamp is issue A1379, a 50 Chon stamp issued by the Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea(North) on January 10th, 1991.It was part of a 6 stamp souvenir sheet displaying giant pandas. According to the Scott Catalog, the souvenir sheet is worth $1.75 cancelled to order. I only possess one stamp of the six on the sheet so that puts its value at 30 cents.

The Korean peninsula was divided between North and South in 1953 at the conclusion of the hostilities of the Korean war. There was still a technical state of war with the south and a large compliment of American military there. North Korea was thus required to stay on a war footing and invest the bulk of the recourses on it’s military. It was still the case that much development occurred in the North with the help of substantial Soviet and Chinese aid. Agricultural reform went more smoothly in the North than in China or the Soviet Union. Through the late seventies, the North at least matched the South in output although with much less emphasis on consumer goods.

Kim Il-sung realized that the North could not rely indefinitely on aid and needed to become self sufficient. He developed a political ideology that built on Marxism but more emphasized the individual in achieving self reliance. The system was called Juche and was credited to Kim Il-sung and exported to open minds throughout the third world. The idea of not having to be reliant on foreigners had much appeal to newly independent former colonies. Achieving the ideal was not however in those countries reach

The development that went on was much in the old Soviet model with things like steel mills and mining at the forefront of the planned industrialization. There was a drive to boost exports by bringing in capitalist technology but this required debt and the monies realized in the market were below what was hoped. When the plan did not work out the debt was quickly defaulted on.

One aspect unique in the communist world was the personal aggrandizement of Kim Il-sung. This allowed him to introduce his son into politics as his heir so that the family could act as a royal house with hereditary succession. The country even introduced a Juche calendar timing dates based on the number of years since Kim Il-sung’s birth. It is definitely a cult of personality but does not extend to North Korea’s leaders having any Godlike powers as is suggested in some African countries.

Kim Il-sung died in 1994 having escaped the tumult that befell other communist countries in the 90s. That in itself does bolster his ideas of self reliance. His son and now his grandson have remained in power and although economic development has not kept pace with the South in recent years there must be some respect for the ability of the North to go it alone.

The giant panda is only native to China. At the current time there is no zoo in North Korea in the program to lease pandas for 10 year periods as exist in many parts of the world. The lease program has been successful in raising money and awareness of the need to preserve and increase numbers of the endangered pandas.

Well my drink is empty and so I will open the conversation in the below comment section. The country of North Korea shows for bad and good what a country is like when it takes complete control of itself. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.