500 Won (front) / 10000 Won (back) KRW #634

Front

Historical Korean naval vessels (turtle ships and traditional Korean vessels) at sea. The turtle ship (geobukseon) was an armored warship designed by Admiral Yi Sun-sin during the Joseon Dynasty in the late 16th century, instrumental in defending Korea during the Japanese invasions of 1592–1598. The turtle ship is one of the most iconic symbols of Korean military innovation and maritime heritage.

Back

King Sejong the Great (1397–1450), fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, who reigned 1418–1450. He is revered as one of Korea's greatest rulers for creating Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and for advancing science, technology, literature, and Confucian scholarship. He appears on modern South Korean currency including the 10,000 won note. Left side shows Cheomseongdae Observatory in Gyeongju, one of the oldest surviving astronomical observatories in Asia, built during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla in the 7th century.

History

CRITICAL DISCREPANCY: The front and back images DO NOT match as belonging to the same banknote. The FRONT displays a 500 Won denomination issued by 'The Bank of Korea' (historical English-language note, likely 1950s–1960s era based on design style), featuring turtle ships and traditional Korean vessels. The BACK displays a 10,000 Won denomination from modern South Korea (likely 1983–2007 series based on King Sejong portrait and Cheomseongdae), with serial number 0791167 JJ 00. These are two completely different banknotes from different eras and denominations. The 500 Won note represents an early post-Korean War issue when English inscriptions were common. The 10,000 Won note belongs to a modern series featuring Sejong the Great, part of South Korea's standard circulation currency. No known public serial-year encoding identified for Bank of Korea notes without additional context.