NORTH KOREA

NORTH KOREA / 북조선 - 북한 - 北朝鮮.

Kŭmgangsan ('Diamond Mountains).
Ch'ilchŏng Rock.
Last stamp in a set of 5, issued on 01.11.1973.
Face value: 40 chon.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Size: 45 x 32 mm.

Catalogues
- Michel No. 1205.
- Scott No. 1155.
- StampWorld No. 1232.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1184.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1114.

Kŭmgangsan (Korean: 금강산, 'Diamond Mountains) is a mountainous massif that is part of the Taebaek mountain range, which crosses the Korean peninsula from north to south. Its highest peak is the Birobong at 1,638 m (5,374 ft). It is located in the extreme southeast of North Korea, just a few kilometers from the border with South Korea. It has different names for each season: in summer it is called Pongraesan (봉래산, "the place where a spirit lives"); in autumn, Phung'aksan (풍악산, "great mountain of colored leaves"); in winter, Kaegolsan (개골산, "stone bone mountain"). Kŭmgangsan has been known for its scenic beauty since ancient times and is the subject of many literary and art works.