Japan Post Office in Korea (在朝鮮日本郵便局)
Japan Post Office was post offices in Korea, which were placed in Korean Peninsula by Japan in Meiji Period.
Summary
Japan concluded Japanese-Korea Treaty of Amity with Korea in 1876; as a result, Japan acquired an enclave in Busan. The post office was one of the governmental institutions established at this occasion. It was originally aimed to facilitate the exchange of posts between Japan and Korea. However, this was because a modern postal service was not practiced in Korea at the time, and this was the first example of modern postal service implemented in Korean Peninsula.
Starting with the launch of Busan post office on November 10, 1876, Japan set up post offices in various places of Korea; Wonsan in 1880, Incheon in 1883, and Seoul in 1888. Japanese stamps were used in these post offices and they were sold in the local currency.
A modern postal service was established in Korea in 1884 under the leadership of Hong Young Shik, which had to be closed due to Gapsin Coup. However it was reopened in 1895, and Korea joined the Universal Postal Union in 1900.
In 1905, postal services all over Korean Peninsula were taken over by Japan under Japan-Korea Joint Communication Service and unified into Japan Post Office in Korea.