North Korea has marked the anniversary of the Korean War — and its annual «Struggle Against US Imperialism Month» — by releasing two anti-American stamps.
An online catalog maintained by the country’s stamp-issuing authority, the Korea Stamp Corporation, lists over 70 different design categories. Topics like «revolutionary history» and «Respected Comrade Kim Jong-un» appear alongside soft power celebrations of transport, infrastructure, and innovation.
But there are some unexpected categories too, including «mushrooms, » «crustaceans, » and «chess.» Keen philatelists have also drawn attention to North Korea’s apparent fondness for depicting cute kittens.
Targeting collectors
With its eyes firmly on the collectors’ market, Pyongyang has turned the stamp industry into a steady source of income, according to the head of Asia studies at the University of British Columbia, Ross King.
«In the broad scheme of things, collector-oriented stamps far outweigh those with a political message, » King said on the phone.
«They even had Princess Diana on the stamps back in the 80s when they thought that Brits were buying stamps.»
King believes the country is «right up there with the United States» as one of the most prolific stamp-issuing authorities in the world.
«The US is another example of a country that uses the postal service to make a ton of money from gullible collectors, » King said.
«North Korea and the United States are very similar in that respect.»
Much like Western countries’ postal services, the reclusive state also designs stamps to commemorate national achievements and world events. Typical subjects include the Ryugyong Hotel, a 105-story pyramid-shaped structure that dominates Pyongyang’s skyline, and the 2014 World Cup — a tournament that North Korea failed to qualify for.
But despite their low value, stamps are cheap to produce and thus very profitable, according to Dutch collector and stamp dealer, Willem van der Bijl.
«Most of them don’t have a high market value, » he said on the phone from his stamp shop in Utrecht. «New issues, in mint condition, sell for around 50 (US) cents a stamp — though that’s just an average.
