Currency Printing Problems Plague ROK

Maybe the South Koreans can take some lessons from their northern bretheren about how to properly print currency:

Concerned about counterfeiting, South Korea has been giving its currency a facelift, starting with the 5,000 won note.

The new bills were released in January with much fanfare, but a large chunk have been recalled after the printers botched some of measures aimed at preventing counterfeiting.

Problems included some notes not being printed with holograms, as well as other defects.

The state-run Korea Minting and Security Corp. recalled nearly 17 million of the new notes in February — its first recall in more than half a century.

In March, the printing service said it had discovered seven more 5,000 won notes with printing errors.

“The reprints have made the Bank of Korea a laughingstock,” the Korea Herald said in a recent editorial.