Sunday, January 4, 2009

South Korea - Wedding Costumes


Korea, with 5,000 years of distinctive history and culture and Singapore, a globalized country of the 21st century, issue a joint stamp featuring traditional wedding costume ? a subject that is both meaningful and beautiful.

Korea’s traditional wedding attire depicted on the stamp is from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Generally, a bridegroom’s wedding garments include a coronet with wings (Samo) and an official robe with a round collar (Dallyeong) with embroidered insignia (Hyungbae). The bride wears an embroidered court robe (Hwarot) or a ceremonial robe (Wonsam). She would also do up her hair in the ceremonial style, colorfully decorated with a coronet adorned with jewelry (Jokduri), a fluttering hair accessory (Tteoljam), or with a hair ribbon (Daenggi).
The stamp shows a purple-colored Dallyeong with Hyungbae spun with golden thread; splendidly embroidered Hwarot; blue-colored Dallyenong with a twin-crane Hyungbae; green-colored Wonsam spun with golden thread; deep blue-colored Dallyeong; and green-colored Wonsam.
The stamp also shows formal wear worn under these wedding costumes: the bridegroom’s baggy pants (Baji), jacket (Jeogori) and overcoat (Durumagi); the bride’s green jacket (Jeogori) and red skirt (Chima).
The backdrop for these wedding attire features four different themes: the sun, moon and five mountains depicting health, longevity and matrimonial harmony; a peony symbolizing wealth, prosperity, longevity and purity; ducks symbolizing success in life and prominence; and mandarin ducks depicting love and conjugal harmony.

The stamp also shows the traditional wedding costumes of the four main ethnic races of Singapore, a multiracial nation - the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian.
The Chinese wedding costumes feature the ‘lucky’ color ? red. Brides traditionally wear clothing embroidered with golden phoenixes, peonies and chrysanthemums ? flowers symbolizing wealth and good fortune. The groom’s outfit is a black silk coat worn over a robe of dark blue.
Malay wedding costumes show a regal touch. Considered royalty for the day, the couple’s attire is elaborate and glittery, adorned with abundant wedding jewellery.
Indian wedding costumes also feature red in all hues as the color of happiness and prosperity. Especially in Tamil weddings, the bride wears red and gold at the main ceremony. The bridegroom usually wears white. His shirt is embroidered with golden threads and worn over white pants or skirts.
The Eurasian wedding costumes reflect the mix of two cultures: European and Asian.
Their wedding attire primarily comprises white representing purity and the bride carries a bouquet of flowers at the ceremony.
The stamp was designed by Professor Yun Yeo-Whan of Chungnam National University with Korea’s traditional wedding costumes researched from the historical viewpoint by Professor Park Sung-Sil of Dankook University.



Date of Issue: 30 March 2007
Quantity: 300,000 stamps each
Printing Process & Colors: Photogravure, Five colours
Sheet Composition: 4x4 (Eight stamps setenant, 147mm x 225mm)
Paper: 13
Printer: Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation
Types: 8
Denomination: KRW 250, 480, 520, 580, 600
Size of Stamp: 30mm x 40mm
Image Area: 27mm x 37mm
Perforation 13
Designer: Kim, So-jeong



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