Title : New Year's Greeting  (View Souvenir Sheet)
Stamp Serial#
 2187 
KPC#
 N-78 
MICHEL#
 2214 
StanGib#
 2531 
Scott#
 2067 
Date of Issue
 12/03/2001 
Quantity
 2,000,000 
Denomination
 170 won 
Design
 The horse greeting the snow 
Designer
 Park, Eun-kyung 
Image Area
 23mm*33mm 
Perforation
 13 
Sheet Composition
 4*5 
Paper
 White unwatermarked
Printing process
and colors
 Photogravure, 6 colors 
Print
 Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation 
Description
The year 2002 is the year of the horse. Since ancient times, the first day of the horse in January was referred to as 'sang-o' day. Rites were performed in honor of the horse and special dishes were prepared to recognize their services. Soybean was made into soy sauce and vegetables were also pickled into Kimchi on this day. 'Dongguksesigi', a book on the annual ceremonies and customs of ancient Korea compiled during the Joseon dynasty, comments on the traditional customs observed on the day of the horse in October. Steam rice cakes were prepared on this day to be taken to the stables and prayers were offered to the gods for the health of the horses.


Horses were the symbol of authority and were used to heighten the legitimacy and authority of the rulers in myths and folklores. Horses were also symbols that suggested the emergence of kings. The flying horses that appear in myths or ancient tomb murals were very intelligent animals that communicated with Heaven. King Hyeokgeose, the founder of the Shilla Kingdom, is said to have been born from an egg delivered by a horse while Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo Kingdom, supposedly ascended to heaven after passing through the ground riding a kylin.


The New Year's Greetings Stamp is the nation's very first photostorage stamp. Photostorage ink containing phosphorescent pigment is used to print the stamps that glow in the dark. The new year's greetings stamp that bears the image of 'the horse greeting the snow' will usher in the year of the horse with all the hopes for a healthy and prosperous year.