The Counterfeit Bill in My Wallet

If you have a 50,000-won bill in your wallet, take a look at it right now. The money you worked hard to earn could be counterfeit.

How to Identify Counterfeit 50,000-Won Bills

Since the issuance of the 50,000-won bill in 2009, the incidence of counterfeiting has steadily increased. In particular, as of 2014, the Bank of Korea reported 3,808 counterfeit bills, a staggering 150-fold increase from the previous year. This surge has been attributed to the activities of a criminal organization, which employed remarkably crude methods. They would stack four 50,000-won bills on a laser color multifunction printer, copy them onto A4 paper, cut them out with a utility knife, and then glue them together.

Despite the crude methods used by counterfeiters, their fake bills circulated widely due to a despicable secondary crime tactic. Their primary target was small convenience stores and traditional markets, where cash transactions occurred frequently. It was revealed that they specifically aimed their schemes at the elderly, who often had diminished vision and cognitive abilities.

So, what are the easy ways to distinguish counterfeit bills? The issuing authority emphasizes that “individual awareness is the most important.” This means that each person must take an interest in examining the authenticity of banknotes. According to the Bank of Korea, the 50,000-won bill incorporates 16 different anti-counterfeiting features. While some of these technologies can only be identified by experts, many can be easily recognized by the general public to some extent.

First, let’s examine the front side featuring the portrait of Shin Saimdang, a female artist from the Joseon Dynasty. If you closely observe the strip-shaped hologram on the left edge, you will see that, depending on the angle, the map of Korea, the Taeguk pattern, the four trigrams pattern alternate against a geometric-patterned background. In between, the number 50,000 is also engraved.

If you shift your gaze slightly to the right of the strip-shaped hologram, you will find the “three-dimensional partial exposure line.” This special film strip is engraved with the Taeguk pattern, and intriguingly, when you move the banknote up and down, the Taeguk pattern moves side to side, and when you move the banknote side to side, the Taeguk pattern moves up and down.

An essential part to examine is the hidden image. When you hold the 50,000-won note up to the light, you will discover that the portrait of Shin Saimdang is hidden in the margins. The concealed Shin Saimdang faces the revealed portrait of Shin Saimdang. At the same time, you can see the number 5, which is engraved in a pentagon using a special convex printing technique, on the shoulder area of the hidden image of Shin Saimdang.

To accommodate visually impaired individuals, Shin Saimdang’s portrait, the painting Wolmae (a sketch of an apricot flower) on the back, and the letters and numbers have been processed using a convex printing technique. This allows visually impaired individuals to determine the denomination and authenticity of the banknote through touch. Naturally, counterfeit notes do not have this textured feel.

The issue is that if we do not take the time to closely examine it, we cannot easily tell whether the money in our wallet is real or counterfeit.

Counterfeit Currency and False Commandments

Failing to properly distinguish genuine currency from counterfeit can lead anyone to significant loss. What we must be even more cautious about, however, is that such deception can just as easily occur in our spiritual lives.

Among the commandments observed in many churches today, there are, in fact, some false commandments. These can be compared to spiritual counterfeit currency. Though they may appear sacred and resemble God’s commandments outwardly, if their origin is not from the Bible, no matter how diligently one observes them, they will not lead to the kingdom of heaven. 

In the Bible, false commandments are referred to as “lawlessness.” The book of Matthew describes the fate of those who practice lawlessness and identifies who they are. Surprisingly, they are believers who call out “Lord, Lord” to Jesus, cast out demons in His name, and even perform miracles in His name. Jesus taught that, regardless of a person’s 10 or 20 years of faith experience, anyone who practices “lawlessness” will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21–23).

How can we distinguish God’s commandments? The answer is in the Bible. The Bible clearly records God’s commandments, so we must follow the commandments it reveals.

Today, many Christians observe Sunday worship and Christmas as if they were laws of Christ. However, Sunday worship and Christmas are not commandments taught by Jesus, nor are they recorded in the Bible.

“Not to mention other examples, is not every Christian obliged to sanctify Sunday . . . But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday.” (The Faith of Our Fathers, James Cardinal Gibbons) “But perhaps the most significant evidence of this policy is to be found in the decree of 321 regulating Sunday observance.” (A History of the Early Church to A.D. 500, J.W.C. Wand) “Christmas wasn’t originally part of the Christian liturgical year; nor is December 25 mentioned in the Bible.” (An Uncommon History of Common Things, Bethanne Kelly Patrick and John Thompson, National Geographic Society) “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of N.T. origin. The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N.T., or, indeed, from any other source.”

(Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, John McClintock and James Strong, Baker Academic)

Sunday worship and Christmas are commandments defined by humans; that is, they are lawless practices that Jesus never taught. Then, what commandments did Jesus reveal?

He [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read

(Luke 4:16)

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” . . . “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you

(Luke 22:14–20)

The Sabbath and the Passover, among others, are all clearly recorded in the Bible as God’s commandments. 

The safest way to prevent falling victim to counterfeit currency is to take the time to closely examine the bills oneself. Similarly, the way to avoid being deceived by false commandments is to diligently study the Bible with genuine interest. By examining the Scriptures even a little, one can fully understand and observe God’s commandments. Let us keep the true commandments of God and receive salvation, the ultimate goal of faith.

<Reference>

• “Warning Against Counterfeit Currency in Traditional Markets,” Gyeongbuk Daily, October 1, 2017.
• “Ten-Year-Old 50,000 Won Bill Achieves Status as a Symbol of Currency: A Masterpiece of Security Technology,” Dong-A Ilbo, June 19, 2019