By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
The Bank of Korea (BOK) has drawn up a pool of 10 historic figures to be featured on the 50,000-won and 100,000-won banknotes, scheduled to debut in early 2009.
Candidates include Kim Koo, president of Korea's interim government in Shanghai during Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945); Yu Gwan-soon, a female independence fighter during the Japanese rule; Jang Yeong-sil, a scientist during the rule of King Sejong (1418-1450); and Jang Bo-go, a navy general during the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-A.D. 935).
Also included in the list are Kim Jeong-hee, a scholar during the rule of King Soonjo (1790-1834); Ahn Chang-ho and Han Yong-un, independent fighters during the Japanese rule; Jeong Yak-yong, a scholar and scientist during the Joseon Kingdom; Sinsaimdang, the mother of renowned Confucian scholar Yi I; and Ju Si-gyeong, who created the modern Korean alphabet system before Japan colonized Korea in 1910.
The central bank set up an advisory committee, headed by the bank's deputy governor, to pick figures for the larger denomination bills and complete their designs.
Wang Yong-ki, head of the BOK's Currency Issue Department, said the bank is taking extreme care in selecting figures for the banknotes because it is quite a sensitive issue. As many interest groups are raising their voices, the bank will choose the figures based on the result of a public survey, he said.
``We need at least two years to complete the technological processes for issuing new banknotes, so they will be available in early 2009,'' Wang told reporters. ``We hope to select figures for the new notes and complete their designs by October.''
After completing the designs, the bank will begin printing them early next year to make them available in early 2009, the bank said.
The bank will consult with the state-run Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp. to introduce new anti-forgery measures for the new bills. ``We can't say at the moment what anti-forgery techniques will be used for the banknotes,'' a BOK official said.
The BOK has claimed the country needs 50,000-won and 100,000-won bills to meet growing demand for higher-denominated bills in line with the country's growing economy. Citing concerns about inflation and forgery, the government had opposed the idea, but gave up its objections late last year.