There are strong superstitious meanings related to these bright colors that are very important in Korean traditional life. Many posters available for collection promote government activities, such as the Olympics or Seoul s sixth centennial. A number promote cultural events, exhibitions, performances, and festivals. The more inventive use of images and techniques are those self-promotional posters, produced by and for the designer. It is rare for collectors to be interested in the more common street graphics that sell products and services.
Korean posters can be important additions to any collection but there are several obstacles.
Generally designers do not keep many copies of printed posters and are reluctant to sell them. There are also very few dealers who have posters. One solution is to have some friends in Korea and who are willing to do some late night collecting from kiosks. This material is adapted from the catalog Korean Poster Design, published for a traveling poster exhibition circulated by Richard Thornton and MeeWha Lee in 1994.