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Edited Extract from: Both Argentina and South Korea feature their provinces on recent sets of stamps.
The Argentine Landscapes set was released June 29, and South Korea's Hometown Special set was issued Aug. 1, the day before the opening of the Philakorea 2002 World Stamp Exhibition in Seoul. This international stamp show took place Aug. 2-11. The Argentine stamps represent eight of the country's 23 provinces, from Jujuy in the northwestern corner to Tierra del Fuego, the eastern part of the large island Tierra del Fuego, near Cape Horn. Each 75-centavo stamp shows a scenic photograph of a province. Jujuy is represented by Cerro de los Siete Colores, or the Seven Colored Mountain. The mountain is named for colorful strata formed by mineral deposits. The stamp for Tierra del Fuego pictures Lapataia Bay. The highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, Mount Aconcagua in Mendoza, is shown on another stamp. The mountain rises to 22,831 feet above sea level. One of Argentina's most awe-inspiring sites, Iguazu Falls, is featured on the stamp for Misions province. Made up of 275 cascades and waterfalls, Iguazu Falls and the surrounding Iguazu National Park were declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization in 1984. The La Rioja stamp pictures one of the large rock formations in the National Park of Talampaya, while the stamp for the city of Buenos Aires depicts the rose garden in Tres de Febrero Park. The garden has more than 14,500 rose bushes. The stamp for the province of Chubut shows the San Jorge Lighthouse, one of 40 beacons lighting Argentina's Atlantic coast. The remaining stamp depicts Perito Moreno Glacier in Santa Cruz. This huge wall of ice, 3 miles wide and more than 165 feet thick, is still growing. Aldo Sessa supplied the photography for the stamps, and Magdalena Perez del Cerro designed them. Letra Viva of Buenos Aires printed the stamps by offset in panes of 16.
One of the purposes of South Korea's Hometown Special set is to introduce the country's 16 autonomous regions to the world. These regions include nine provinces and seven cities that have the same status as the provinces. The set includes 32 stamps, one pair of se-tenant stamps with side-by-side designs for each region. All of the stamps bear a denomination of 190 won. Most of the pairs include one stamp picturing a scene and the other showing a local event or activity. For example, the stamp pair for Seoul shows Heung-injimun, the eastern gate of the wall surrounding the city, and Songpa Sandaenori, a mask dance. The gate was built in 1396. The pair for the province of Gyeonggi (Kyonggi) is similar, picturing Panmunjeom (Freedom House) in Paju and Yangjubyeol Sandaenori, another regional mask dance. Rock formations and performances are featured on the pairs of stamps for Incheon (Inchon) and Gangwon (Kangwon). The mask drama represented on the latter stamp is the only one in Korea performed in pantomime. The stamps introducing the province of Chungbuk (Chungchongbuk) show Beopju Temple, built in 553, and two masters in the martial art of taekwondo. The designs for Chungnam (Chungchongnam) depict a sailboat on Baekma River and a weaver making ramie fabric. Science is the subject of both the stamps for Daejeon (Taejon). One shows the Expo Science Park built as part of the Taejeon Expo 93. The other depicts workers and buildings in Daedeok Science Town, a research institute. Jeonbuk (Chollabuk) is represented by Mount Mai and drummers in an Iri folk band. Games are showcased on one stamp each for the city of Gwangju (Kwangju) and the province of Gyeongbuk (Kyongsangbuk). The Geyongbuk stamp pictures andongchaejeon nori, also played during the first full moon of the lunar year. According to the new-issue announcement, the game is played by two sides who make a structure by tying logs together. The object is to knock the other team's structure to the ground by pushing each other. The other stamps in these pairs show a monument to the May 19, 1980, uprising in Gwangu and Dokdo Island in Gyeongbuk. Kwang-ju Uprising Dokdo Island Another island, Odong, is featured on one of the stamps for Jeonnam (Chollanam). The other design depicts the performance of the circle dance Ganggang Sullae under the moonlight. The pair for Daegu (Taegu) shows a seated statue of Buddha on Mount Palgong and a forest of oriental pines in Dalseong. Coastal rock formations are pictured on the stamps honoring Gyeongnam (Kyongsangnam) and Busan (Pusan). The other Gyeongnam stamp pictures Goseong Ogwangdae, a performance by five clowns, representing five compass points of east, west, south, north and center. The other design in the Busan pair features a local festival called Dongnaeyaryu. Prehistoric carvings of animals and people are pictured on a stamp for the city of Ulsan. The other Ulsan stamp shows Cheoyongmu, a dance that was performed at the royal court to ward off evil spirits. The pair for Jeju (Cheju) pictures Mount Halla (South Korea's highest mountain) and a house on Jeju Island. The address of the Argentine bureau is Correo Argentino, Departamento de Filatelia, C.C. 4224 Correo Central, 1000, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The address of the South Korean bureau is Seoul Central Post Office, Korean Philatelic Center, CPO Box 5122, Seoul, 100-011, South Korea. |