South Korea
Are South Korea stamps public domain?
No rule specific to stamps; the general copyright law applies.
The terms: 70 years after the death of a named designer; 70 years from issue for an anonymous stamp; 70 years from issue as a work of the state.
Copyright law in South Korea
The archive has not been able to settle the details of South Korea stamps specifically. Here is its reading of the copyright law of South Korea, and how it reaches a general answer from it. A design answers Likely yes or Likely no only when every term that could apply agrees, and Unclear when they disagree.
- Stamps
- A work made public in the name of an organization enters the public domain 70 years after publication, and Korean stamps are treated that way.
- Government works
- Laws, public notices and orders of the national and local governments, and court judgments, are free to use.
- Named designer
- 70 years after the designer’s death
- Anonymous
- 70 years from issue
- Work of the state
- 70 years from issue
- Note
- A work made public in the name of an organization enters the public domain 70 years after publication. Earlier terms were 30 and 50 years.
Historical issuers read under this law: Korea (Empire), Korea (Indian Custodian Forces), Korea (Japanese Post Offices), South Korea (North Korean Occupation).
Read from Wikimedia Commons, copyright rules for South Korea, revision 1284067152, checked October 8, 2026