When man first learned to write, his primary objective was to have his message delivered as quickly as possible. Consequently, in ancient civilizations runners transported clay tablets from city to city, and ships sailed the known seas and rivers carrying in their holds precious cargoes of the written word. As methods of transportation were improved, the speed and safety by which communication could be relayed was likewise advanced. In fact, within the evolution of transportation progress it is possible to trace the importance and the influence of the mails. Runners were succeeded by horsemen or coaches, primitive board by modern steamers, horses and coach by locomotives, and now comes the airplane. ... The story of the Air Mail Service is the story of the conquest of a new frontier, a frontier which, like all its predecessors, has yielded grudgingly but surely to Man's indomitable courage and resourceful intelligence. The story is filled with visionary dreams, bitter disappointments, and encouraging realizations. It contains elements of romance, heroism, and intrigue, and throughout its course runs the thread of Man's unquenchable desire to overcome those physical barriers which have so long restricted him to mere surface travel upon the earth. To the casual observer this particular phase of mail transportation is comparatively new, but viewed from the perspective of history it is merely the modern link in the long chain of mail communication devices. Thus, the story is not ended, but is in a constant state of expansion, and the present phase of it would seem to indicate that the future will produce a chapter more startling than any that has yet been revealed.

This master's thesis deals with the topic of modernization of communication means in Korea during the late 19th century, namely with the intruduction, organizational structure and development process of the West-inspired postal system in 1884-1905. It further examines the extent of actual utility, accessibility and importance of postal services from the perspective of the then Korean society and government. This work is divided into two parts. The first one covers approximately the first half of 1880's, exploring the situation regarding the very brief existence of the first Korean post office, Ujŏngch'ongguk. This part also briefly deals with the alternative medium of modern communication, telegraph. It was, however, not until more than 10 years after the abolishment of the first post office that Korean postal services were resumed. In the second part of the thesis I inquire into the postal system's development throughout the period of so-called kabo reforms (1894-96) and the Korean Empire (1897-1905).