500 South Korean Won Banknote (1973 Issue)

500 Won Won (Issued 1973)

The 1973 issue of the 500 Won banknote was released during a period of rapid economic transformation in South Korea, as the country pursued aggressive industrialisation under its modernisation programme of the early 1970s. The Bank of Korea’s Won Reform series represented a consolidation of the currency framework that had been evolving since the Won replaced the Hwan in 1962, and the 500 Won denomination stood as the highest-value note in general circulation at the time. Its issue reflected both growing purchasing power and the government’s ambition to present a currency that embodied Korean national heritage and historical identity. The choice of imagery on this note — celebrating Korea’s naval and architectural legacy — was a deliberate statement of cultural pride during a pivotal decade.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the celebrated 16th-century Korean naval commander renowned for his defence of Joseon Korea against Japanese invasion, rendered in a dark grey-brown intaglio engraving style with considerable tonal depth and fine line work capturing his traditional official robes and wide-brimmed black gat hat and beard. To the right of the portrait, a detailed depiction of a geobukseon — the iconic Korean turtle ship, one of the world’s first ironclad warships — sits prominently in the central field, shown from a three-quarter angle with its distinctive dragon-headed prow and armoured shell-like deck rendered in careful engraving against a lightly shaded background. The denomination numeral “500” appears in large bold type on the left edge in dark ink, while the Korean characters 오백원 (five hundred won) are printed in large stylised script across the upper centre of the note. The issuing authority name 한국은행 (Bank of Korea) appears in Korean characters to the right, and the text 한국은행권 runs along the upper portion. A red circular seal stamp is visible to the right of centre, alongside additional Korean text. The serial number 사11860011다 appears in dark ink both at the upper right and along the lower left, with the note printed predominantly in tones of grey, violet, and pale rose-pink, with guilloché patterning visible in the background fields. The lower border carries fine printed text in Korean characters, and the word 오백 appears in a small panel at the lower right corner.

The reverse presents a finely detailed engraved scene of a traditional Korean palatial or temple complex, rendered in deep blue-grey intaglio, showing a multi-tiered classical Korean pavilion building with characteristic curved eaves, surrounded by a walled courtyard and dense treeline in the background, the whole composition conveying architectural grandeur and careful perspective work in the engraving. To the right, the large denomination numeral “500” is displayed within an elaborate circular guilloché panel incorporating multicoloured geometric lattice patterns in orange, pink, and green tones, enclosed within ornate scroll and foliate borders. The text “THE BANK OF KOREA” is printed in bold serif capitals along the upper right in dark ink. The denomination text “500 WON” appears in large characters at the lower left in dark blue. The overall background of the reverse features delicate guilloché patterning and fine screen printing in pale tones, with multicoloured vertical bar security patterns visible near the lower centre of the note, adding a layer of anti-counterfeiting detail characteristic of this series.

Exchange foreign coins and notes with no fuss: Webuyallcurrency.com accepts this 500 Won banknote and other old or withdrawn South Korean Won banknotes, paying out for everything together in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 500 Won Won banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Whether you want to sell foreign coins and notes or exchange leftover currency from past trips, Webuyallcurrency.com accepts South Korean Won banknotes alongside modern money and settles everything in a single, easy transaction.

Other South Korean Won you can exchange: 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 1000, 2000, 5000.