Park hae-jin - 1st Korean to grace Chinese postage stamp

Seen are stamps featuring actor Park Hae-jin that are to be released in China in early May. / Yonhap

By Park Jin-hai

Actor Park Hae-jin will become the first Korean to be featured on a Chinese postage stamp next month, his agency Mountain Movement said, Monday.

The stamp is part of the Dream China project jointly organized by China’s Ministry of Communications and the China Post to recognize the 100 most influential figures in China.

Previously, stamps featuring Korean boy band Super Junior-M were put on sale in 2008, but that was a one-time charity event for the victims of the earthquake in China that year.

“It is exceptional in that China issues stamps and phone cards featuring a person only when the person is regarded as having an exceptionally positive effect on society,” an official at Park’s agency said. “It is a great honor for Park to join renowned Chinese celebrities who are loved by all.”

The stamps will feature various images of the actor in dramas he has appeared in and will be sold throughout the country.

The first batch of 100 limited edition stamp sets, including phone cards and commemorative coins worth 130,000 won, is receiving pre-orders for May sales, while stamps for daily use, worth 140 won per piece, will go on sale in August.

Parkhas been continuing his activities in China since the Korean drama “Famous Chil Princesses” aired in China in 2009. Unlike other Korean stars that come to China for quick visits after their dramas are aired, Park has been credited for spending a lot of time in China, filming four dramas so far and doing charity work there.

“Duo Duo’s Marriage” on China’s Hunan TV in 2011 elevated him to prominence and landing him the Asia Star Award. With his recent work on hit drama “Cheese in the Trap,” Park has emerged as one of the hottest stars.

Earlier this month, he was also named “Actor of the Year” at the LeTV Entertainment Awards in China for his role in popular Chinese drama “Far Away Love.”

Park will hold a fan meeting this Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his debut. The free event will be at Olympic Park in Seoul. The event will be live streamed by Youku, one of China’s largest video-sharing sites, and smartphone app V, an online channel run by Naver.