10000 South Korean Won Banknote (1979 Issue)

10,000 Won (Issued 1979)

The Bank of Korea, established in 1950 as the central bank of the Republic of Korea, was the sole issuing authority for the nation’s currency during one of the most consequential periods of economic transformation in modern Asian history. Operating under the Bank of Korea Act, the institution was charged with maintaining monetary stability and managing the currency supply during South Korea’s rapid industrialisation and export-led growth of the 1960s and 1970s. The 10,000 Won note it produced during this era represented the highest denomination in circulation, reflecting the increasing purchasing power demands of a modernising economy. Notes bearing this authority carry the institutional weight of a central bank that steered Korea’s monetary policy through extraordinary periods of development and change.

On the front, the dominant feature is the portrait of King Sejong the Great, the revered fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, depicted in finely engraved detail to the right of centre. He is shown wearing the traditional royal court hat known as the ikseongwan and dressed in formal court robes rendered in intricate intaglio line work, giving his likeness a dignified, three-dimensional quality characteristic of high-quality banknote engraving of the period. The colour palette of the front face blends soft olive greens, warm khaki tones, and muted grey-browns across the background, which is filled with an elaborate guilloché pattern featuring intertwining dragon motifs rendered in detailed, symmetrical engraving. To the left of centre, a pair of ornamental stone pillars — recognisable as the Supyo Bridge dragon stone posts or similar traditional Korean stone sculptural elements — are depicted in careful engraving against the decorative background. The denomination appears twice in bold numerals as “10000” in the lower left and lower right areas of the note. Above the central field, Korean Hangul text reads 한국은행권, identifying the note as a Bank of Korea issue, with the denomination 만 원 appearing prominently in large Hangul characters at the centre top. Below this, the issuing authority name 한국은행 is printed in clear Korean script. A red circular seal with Korean characters appears near the centre of the note, providing an additional authenticating mark. The serial number 0220027 바바다 appears twice, once in the upper left and once in the lower centre-right area, printed in dark ink against the light ground. The overall impression is one of layered complexity, with the guilloche background, the engraved portrait, the stone sculpture vignette, and the typographic elements working together to create a densely detailed and visually authoritative design.

The reverse bears the English-language inscription “THE BANK OF KOREA” in bold, well-spaced serif capitals across the upper portion of the note, establishing the issuing institution clearly for international recognition. Dominating the centre of the reverse is a finely engraved architectural vignette depicting Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, the magnificent royal banqueting hall within the Gyeongbokgung Palace complex in Seoul, shown rising above its reflecting pond with its characteristic multi-tiered tiled roof, open colonnaded lower storey, and the still water surrounding the structure rendered in horizontal engraved lines. The building is depicted in warm brown and dark olive tones with strong contrast in the engraving, giving the structure considerable depth and architectural precision. To the lower left, a large dark brown denomination panel displays “10000” in bold numerals, accompanied by an intricate decorative scroll and floral engraving in deep brown ink. To the lower right, a matching denomination panel also showing “10000” is flanked by an elegant rendering of peony blossoms — the national flower of Korea — depicted in pale cream and soft grey tones with detailed petal and leaf engraving. The denomination text “10000 WON” appears in large serif capitals along the lower central area of the note. The right edge of the note shows a plain, lightly textured area providing a watermark zone, with subtle vertical line patterns visible in the paper. Small Korean text appears along the lower edge of the note in fine print, consistent with statutory printing information. The overall reverse colour scheme moves from warm golden-olive at the borders through rich brown in the central vignette and denomination panels to pale cream in the floral detail and watermark field.

Webuyallcurrency.com buys foreign coins and banknotes for cash, including this 10,000 Won banknote from South Korea. Send it in with any other South Korean Won banknotes you have and we will handle the exchange in a single straightforward process.

• Indicate the quantity of 10,000 Won Won banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com is a simple way to exchange or sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash — current or withdrawn — turning your South Korean Won banknotes and any other leftover currency into one straightforward payout.

Other South Korean Won you can exchange: 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000.