No.4 Cover - received on 2010/09/21 from Korea

Many thanks to Ahn Jung-Min for the wonderful FDC on Jumong Special Stamps. The cover was sent by registered mail from South Korea on 14 September 2010 and it took 7 days to arrive at Singapore. The cover is also affixed with four beautiful definitve stamps for making-up the cost.


The front of the FDC



The back of the cover

As a part of the effort to “establish our cultural identity in a precise way,” Goguryeo Jumong stamps is being issued in 2010, after the “Geumwawang of the Buyeo Kingdom” stamps in 2009 and "Gojoseon’s Dangun Wanggeom" stamps in 2008 - the first stamps in this series.

According to “Samgukyusa” (the historic chronology of the Three Kingdoms written by the Venerable Ilyeon) and “Samguksagi” (the historical record of the Three Kingdoms written by Kim Busik), the story of Goguryeo’s Jumong can be summarized as follows: King Geumwa met a woman at Ubalsu in Mt. Taebaek and asked who she was. She replied, “I am Yuhwa, a daughter of Habaek, the god of rivers. Haemosu, the son of the Lord of Heaven, seduced me into making love with him. Then, he left and never returned. My parents scolded me for marrying even without a matchmaker, and exiled me to Ubalsu.”

King Geumwa locked her into a room only to see the sun following and shining on her. After this, she showed signs of pregnancy and laid an egg. The king discarded the egg, but it was protected by animals. The king retrieved the egg but when he was unable to break the egg, the king gave it back to Yuhwa. She wrapped it with a cloth and put it in a warm spot. Out of this egg, a boy hatched. This boy was named Jumong and he was clever and boasted a sturdy build and commanding presence. At the age of only 7, he was far ahead of other common people. He himself made bows and arrows and he invariably hit the targets 100% of the time. King Geumwa had 7 sons, who played with Jumong all the time but all of them lagged behind Jumong in their skills and talents. As the sons and servants of King Geumwa were intent on harming Jumong, he fled with three people including Oi. They reached Eumhosu but found that they wouldn’t be able to cross the water. Jumong shouted toward the water that he was the son of the lord of heaven and the grandson of Habaek, asking for a way to cross. In response, numerous fish and soft-shelled turtles formed a bridge, allowing them to cross to safety. Jumong and his followers reached Jolboncheon. Charmed by this area’s fertile land and rugged mountain terrain, he set up his capital there. Too busy to build a palace, he built a thatched cottage instead and lived there. He named his country Goguryeo and took “Go” as his surname.

Goguryeo was the largest country among those ever built on Korea. And it was a powerful country that boldly stood up against Su and Dang - two Chinese dynasties that unified China during the era concurrent to Goguryeo, rather than a mere regional government established by a minority race, as claimed by China. Faced with Chinese-led global order, Goguryeo warded off China’s ambition to enter into Eastern lands, and by securing the Yodong Peninsula, provided the time and space for Silla and Baekje to grow. Overall, Goguryeo served as a shield against China, ensuring that the Korean people could live safely on the Korean peninsula.

At the back of the cover, there are four beautiful Korean definitive stamps:

The 30 won stamp was released for featuring Vitis amurensis Ruprecht (wild grapes) on September 10, 2001. The Vitis amurensis Ruprecht is a deciduous vine plant of the grape family. Also called "mountain grapes," this vine grows autogenously in forests teeming at the foot of mountains or between valleys at high altitudes of 100 to 1,650 meters above sea level.

The 100 won stamp was released for featuring a crinum (Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum Baker) on March 1, 2006. Though it is easily mistaken for a type of orchid due to its name "crinum," which name in Korean is "Moonjuran," (with "ran" denoting an orchid), it is, in fact, a perennial herb belonging to the daffodil family. About 50cm tall, it grows in sandy soil at seacoasts, with leaves opening out in all directions. In July and August, its white flowers blossom, emitting a sweet scent. Around August and September, it bears globular fruits.

The 250 won stamp was released for featuring the brown hawk-owl on November 1, 2006. The summer migratory bird belonging to the owl family has been designated as Natural Monument No. 324. Its body is about 29cm long. Its head, back and tail are dark brown, while its white chest and belly have dark brown spots that form vertical lines. Its habitats include needle-leaf trees, deciduous broad-leaved trees, forests near human dwellings and gardens. It is active primarily during night time and feeds on insects, bats, small wild birds, etc.

The 1000 won stamp was released for featuring “Cheongjasajayugaehyangno” (Celadon incense burner with lion-shaped lid) on November 17, 2009. The celadon incense burner made around the 12th century, the pinnacle of Goryeo celadon, “Cheongjasajayugaehyangno,” National Treasure Number 60, shows the serene beauty of green jade commonly called celadon green. The incense burner comprises the body part used to burn the incense and the lion-shaped lid. The body is propped up by 3 animal-shaped legs. The posture of the lion that composes the lid leans toward the left side, thus creating a unique structural beauty. The smoke of the incense burned in the body is designed to pass through the lion’s body and emanate from its half-open mouth. The beautiful incense burner is assessed as an outstanding work of art that shows the advanced artistic scale of celadon incense burners of that time. The incense burner is 21.2 cm high and 16 cm in diameter, and is now housed in the National Museum of Korea.Source:
[1] http://www.koreapost.go.kr/eng/