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1 Won Turtle Boat
| Issuer | Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Reverse script | Korean (Hangul) |
| Reverse lettering | 세계최초의 철갑선 거북선 1592 주체92 (2003) |
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| Additional information |
North Korea began issuing collectible aluminum pieces like this in the late 1990s and early 2000s primarily for foreign currency generation — sold to overseas collectors through state-controlled channels rather than circulated domestically. The turtle ship itself carries genuine historical weight: Admiral Yi Sun-sin's iron-clad vessels decisively broke Japanese naval advances during the Imjin War of 1592–98, a conflict both Koreas claim with equal national fervor.
KM#323 is part of a broader series targeting the numismatic export market, which the DPRK has exploited systematically since the 1970s to earn hard currency unavailable through conventional trade.