NORTH KOREA

NORTH KOREA / 북조선 - 북한 - 北朝

Mountain landscapes.
Waterfall on Mount Myohyang.
Third stamp in a set of 4, issued 09.09.1973.
Face value: 10 North Korean chon.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 1191.
- Scott No. 1138.
- StampWorld No. 1218.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 1167.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 1110.

The Mount Myohyang (Hangul: 묘향산 ["Mysterious Fragrant Mountain"]), 1,909 m (6,263 ft) high, is named after the mystic shapes and fragrances found in the area. It is a sacred site as, according to legend, it was the home of King Dangun, forefather of the Korean people. Much of the mountain is covered by mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest and protected in a 16,000 hectares (62 sq mi) national park. Some 7,000 hectares (27 sq mi) have been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). In 2009 UNESCO designated this mountain a world biosphere reserve, citing its cultural significance as well as the spectacular cliffs providing habitat for 30 endemic plant species, 16 plant species that are globally threatened and 12 endangered animal species.