South Korea’s official chop has become cracked, worn, and should be replaced, according to government auditors there.
The 2.15 kg, 18-karat gold chop, commissioned to mark the nation’s 50th anniversary in 1998, is used to authenticate public documents and diplomatic papers, honorary certificates, and certificates of appointment.
The chop uses a “more modern font” than that of its predecessor. According to the report on this, “critics had complained that the old seal used Korean characters that looked too much like Chinese characters.”
(Emphasis added.)
Here’s the current seal:
source: Crack in seal, 6 years old, irks auditors (Joong Ang Daily, September 23, 2005)
Well…this is definitely a modern font. I wonder what the old version looked like? It probably would seem more”official” to me with serifs or the like.
Thanks for that, TheMatt. It’s very interesting to see the seal and its impression. I’ve added the image to the main post, since my software won’t let me put it here in the comments.
Does anyone know where I can find a necklace or piece of jewelry with Korea’s seal on it? Like a necklace or a ring for a woman?