{"title":"South Korea","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"south-korea-1000-won-2007-unc","title":"South Korea P-54 1000 Won 2007 UNC—Yi Hwang, \"Korea's Thomas Jefferson\"","description":"\u003ch3\u003eBanknote Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFront:\u003c\/strong\u003e Portrait of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yi_Hwang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYi Hwang\u003c\/a\u003e; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myeongnyundang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMyeongryundang\u003c\/a\u003e lecture hall of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sungkyunkwan\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeonggyungwan\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBack:\u003c\/strong\u003e Painting \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dosan_Seowon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGyesangjeonggeodo\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e depicting Yi Hwang at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dosan_Seowon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDosan Seowon\u003c\/a\u003e; blooming \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prunus_mume\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean Green Plum\u003c\/a\u003e (\u003cem\u003ePrunus mume\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yi Hwang and electrotype ‘1000’\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 136 × 68 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bank_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBank of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (한국은행); issued into general circulation January 22, 2007\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korea_Minting,_Security_Printing_%26_ID_Card_Operating_Corporation\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorea Minting and Security Printing Corporation\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korean_won\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNew won\u003c\/a\u003e (1962–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout South Korea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Seoul\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeoul\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~9.7 million; metro ~26 million)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~51.7 million (UN 2024) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spain\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSpain\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/California\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCalifornia\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 100,210 km² (38,691 mi²) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Portugal\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePortugal\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Virginia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eVirginia\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$58,000 USD (IMF 2024) — ranks ~28th out of 193 globally\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Semiconductors, automobiles, petrochemicals, ships, displays, steel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNorth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (land); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJapan\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/China\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eChina\u003c\/a\u003e (maritime)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial language:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e and early Korean kingdoms (2333 BC–668 AD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Unified_Silla\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnified Silla\u003c\/a\u003e (668–935)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo Dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (918–1392)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon Dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1392–1897) — Yi Hwang lived and taught during this period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Empire\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean Empire\u003c\/a\u003e (1897–1910)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korea_under_Japanese_rule\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJapanese colonial rule\u003c\/a\u003e (1910–1945)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAugust 16, 1945: Truman and Stalin \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Division_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003edivided Korea\u003c\/a\u003e into occupation zones at t\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehe 38th parallel.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Army_Military_Government_in_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUS Military Government\u003c\/a\u003e (1945–1948)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRepublic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (1948–date) — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean War\u003c\/a\u003e (1950–1953); rapid industrialization from 1960s; democracy consolidated 1987 — \u003cstrong\u003ethis note issued during this period\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKorea’s Thomas Jefferson — Philosopher and Founder Who Kept Walking Away from Power\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yi_Hwang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYi Hwang\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (1501–1570), known by his pen name \u003cstrong\u003eToegye\u003c\/strong\u003e, is the closest thing Korea has to a philosopher-saint — and the comparison to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Jefferson\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThomas Jefferson\u003c\/a\u003e is not a stretch. Both men were the intellectual architects of their civilizations. Jefferson wrote the operating system of American democracy; Yi Hwang wrote the \u003cstrong\u003emoral operating system of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon Dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e — a Neo-Confucian framework of ethics, governance, and human nature that shaped Korean society for three centuries. Both preferred their libraries to the halls of power. Jefferson dreamed of retiring to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Monticello\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMonticello\u003c\/a\u003e; Yi Hwang \u003cstrong\u003eresigned from government dozens of times\u003c\/strong\u003e to return to his mountain retreat. And both considered founding an academy their greatest achievement: Jefferson the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/University_of_Virginia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUniversity of Virginia\u003c\/a\u003e, Yi Hwang the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dosan_Seowon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDosan Seowon\u003c\/a\u003e — depicted on the reverse of this very note.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf Jefferson is the closest parallel, two others complete the picture. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Benjamin_Franklin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenjamin Franklin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e — the West’s universal man, moralist, and founder of institutions, staring out from the $100 bill — shares Yi Hwang’s belief that education is the only foundation for a virtuous society. And \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marcus_Aurelius\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarcus Aurelius\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, the Roman emperor who spent his nights writing \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meditations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMeditations\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and his days running an empire, matches Yi Hwang’s personal vibe most precisely: \u003cstrong\u003equiet internal discipline, public duty carried without complaint, philosophy as a daily practice rather than an academic exercise.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat retreat — Dosan Seowon — is what you see on the reverse. The painting \u003cem\u003eGyesangjeonggeodo\u003c\/em\u003e shows Yi Hwang in his element: mountains, water, a pavilion, the studied calm of a man who chose ideas over power. \u003cstrong\u003eHe developed Korea’s most influential interpretation of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neo-Confucianism\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNeo-Confucianism\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, debating the nature of human emotion and moral principle in the famous \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Four%E2%80%93Seven_Debate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFour–Seven Debate\u003c\/a\u003e — a philosophical exchange Korean scholars still argue about today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe obverse shows \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myeongnyundang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMyeongryundang\u003c\/a\u003e, the main lecture hall of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sungkyunkwan\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeonggyungwan\u003c\/a\u003e — the Joseon royal academy founded in 1398, the institution that trained every official who ran the country. Placing it behind Yi Hwang’s portrait is a statement: \u003cstrong\u003eKorea’s identity is built on learning, not conquest.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blooming \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prunus_mume\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ePrunus mume\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e — Korean Green Plum — on the reverse is not decorative filler. In East Asian tradition, the plum blossom flowers in late winter, before any other tree. It is the symbol of \u003cstrong\u003eperseverance, integrity, and the scholar who holds his principles under pressure\u003c\/strong\u003e. On a note featuring Yi Hwang, it is perfectly chosen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSouth Korea chose not a general, not a king, not a founding politician for its most-circulated denomination — but a philosopher who kept walking away from power to think more clearly. Jefferson would have understood completely. \u003cstrong\u003eThat choice is itself a kind of national self-portrait.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51912735523127,"sku":"KR54U","price":1.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/54o_b5010f71-76f8-4a02-b994-b852756abeef.jpg?v=1775590958"}],"url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/collections\/south-korea.oembed","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}