Korea  39

     In 1903 Korea issued a set of 13 stamps. (Japan assumed administrative control of Korea in 1904 and annexed it in 1910, retaining control until early 1946.) The design on these stamps shows a falcon displayed facing dexter, holding a globe in its left claw (on the right), and a sword in its right claw (on the left). On the body of the falcon are eight small and one large taiji (Yin-Yang-pronounced eum Yang in Korean) symbols. The large one is surrounded by the eight kwaes (trigrams of whole and broken lines).

    On the globe, Japan, off the coast of Korea, appears as a single island.