New Banknote Designs, Colors Announced

The color of the high-denomination 100,000 won note to be issued in 2009 will be gray, and the 50,000 won note will be yellow. The width will be longer than the current 10,000 won note, and the print on the back of the high-denomination notes will be designed vertically to aid differentiation.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) finalized the patterns on December 31 at the Monetary Policy Committee.

The Monetary Policy Committee decided that the 100,000 won bill with the portrait of Kim Koo will be gray, and that the dominant color in the 50,000 won bill with Shin Saimdang’s portrait will be yellow. At present, the 10,000 won note is green, the 5,000 won note a coppery tone, and the 1,000 won note blue.

The length will be extended as well. The 100,000 won note will be 160 millimeters long and 68 millimeters wide, and the 50,000 won note will be 154 by 68 millimeters. The 100,000 won note will be 12 millimeters longer than the 10,000 won (148 by 68 millimeters), the 50,000 won note six millimeters longer.

The central bank decided to keep to the size standards that dictate that the width remains the same, so the existing 10,000 won, 5,000 won, and 1,000 won bills are also all 68 millimeters wide.

A unique characteristic of the higher notes is that the back print is designed vertically. Accordingly, the Daedongyeojido (Grand Map of Korea) and Ulsan carvings at the Bangudae archaeological site in Ulsan printed on the back of the 100,000 won note and Wolmaedo printed on the back of the 50,000 won note will be in a vertical pattern.

The Dokdo Islet is not present in the original Daedongyeojido that Kim Jeong-ho drew in the Joseon Dynasty, but the 100,000 won note includes Dokdo Islet.

The numerals on the higher notes will be the same size as before, and state-of-the-art anti-counterfeit measures (unrevealed as of yet) will be introduced.