New Year’s Greetings
  
information on Korean stamp
Date of Issue |
: 2016.12.01 |
Types |
: 2 |
Denomination |
: 300 won |
Design |
: |
Stamp No. |
: 3167 |
Printing Process
& Colors |
: Offset, Four Colors+Gold Hot Foiling+Holographic Foil+Embossing |
Size of Stamp |
: 35mm×35mm |
WholeSheet
Composition |
: 4×4,(소형시트) 2×2 |
Image Area |
: 32mm×32mm |
Paper |
: White Un watermarked |
Perforation |
: 13¾×13¾ |
Printer |
: POSA |
Designer |
: Kim, So-jeong |
Quantity |
: 280,000 stamps each (S/S 100,000) |
Detail
The year 2017 is the jeongyu year of the rooster. The tenth animal in the zodiac, the rooster is not just close to humans; it is, in fact, one of the most popular domestic animals in the world. In Korea, the rooster appeared as an animal announcing the birth of the ruler of a new country in the myth of Kim Alji, the progenitor of the Gyeongju Kim clan and the Kim dynasty of Silla.
Confucian culture considered the rooster an animal that represents five virtues. First, the rooster was thought to be a symbol of mun (literary art) because the shape of the roosters comb reminded people of gwan (traditional Korean hat worn by aristocrats). For this reason, it is said that anyone who aspired to be a government official during the Joseon period would draw a rooster in hope of success and hang it in his library. A surprisingly aggressive animal, the roosters sharp claws represent mu (martial art), and its refusal to ever back down in fights symbolizes yong (bravery). Fourth, the rooster was considered an animal of in (virtuous) because it calls others whenever it finds food to share it. Some consider the rooster to be a symbol of love and abundance as roosters always go around in a group and share what they have. Lastly, the rooster symbolized sin (trust) as it faithfully signals the coming of dawn. Before the clock became a household item, the rooster served as a time signaler, and the Koreans considered the rooster to be an auspicious animal that forewarned the arrival of daybreak. Because the roosters crow was believed to drive out evil spirits, many homes would hang a picture of a rooster when they greeted the new year, to wish for peace.
To predict a good harvest, farmers used to count the crows of the first rooster at dawn on New Years Day or January 15th by the lunar calendar. It was believed that a good harvest was on the way if the rooster crowed more than ten times. We at Korea Post hope that 2017 will bring everyone happiness through shared hopes, just as the rooster crow signaled the coming of a good harvest and brought new hope to those in the dark.