Title : Definitive Postage Stamp (3 Won)
Stamp Serial#
 1069 
KPC#
 266 
MICHEL#
 1089 
StanGib#
 1063a 
Scott#
 1088 
Date of Issue
 10/01/1977 
Quantity
 To be issued as required 
Denomination
 3 won 
Design
 Magpie(pica-pica) 
Designer
 Kim, Sung Sil 
Image Area
 22mm×19mm 
Perforation
 12 1/2*13 1/2 
Sheet Composition
 10×10 
Paper
 White unwatermarked
Print
 Government Printing &Mint Agency of the Repubic of Korea 
Description
The Ministry of Communications issues a 3-won definitive postage stamp in gravure printing instead of the offset printing, as the third and final issue, with a magpie as its design.

Since olden times, a magpie has been regarded as a bird of good omen, which brings us good news. Legends have it that the magpie requites man's kindness.

Magpie(Pica-pica):
Magpies are widely scattered in Korea, Manchuria, Taiwan, China, Japan and Burma. One can see a magpie all year round in Korea. It is black in head and back, grayish-white in waist, and has white wings. Its tail, a little longer than that of a crow, is glossy blackish-green. Its breast is glossy black with the lower portion being white. With a black bill and legs, its wing and bill are 18cm and 3cm or so, respectively.

A wild bird with a very strong feeling of intimacy to man, the magpie has a strong sense of unity and expels other in groups, but when the breeding season comes, they choose certain districts in pairs to lay eggs, with the female taking charge of hatching and the male protecting the female.

Magpies live on insects, fruits of tees, grains and others. A female magpie lays 6 to 7 eggs in April or May and the eggs are hatched in 18 to 20 days. Young magpies grow up fully in two months after hatching. Although grown-up magpies cannot be tamed by man, those bred by man from the time of hatching become very obedient to man, with some clever ones even coming to learn our language.