No More Handwritten Letters in the Land of Andersen: Denmark Ends 400 Years of Postal Delivery

End of Letter Delivery Era Begun in 1624
Letter Volume Drops 90% Over 25 Years

Denmark, which established its letter delivery system in 1624, is bringing an end to over 400 years of postal history. On December 21, Yonhap News, citing The Guardian, reported that PostNord, Denmark’s postal service authority, will permanently discontinue its letter delivery service after the final deliveries on December 30. PostNord stated, "Denmark is one of the most digitalized countries in the world," adding, "While demand for letter delivery has plummeted, the surge in online shopping has caused a dramatic increase in parcel demand, which we need to address."

Denmark has been exchanging letters through the post office since 1624, but the volume of letter shipments has decreased by more than 90% over the past 25 years. Pixabay

Previously, Denmark and Sweden, both located in Scandinavia, merged their postal services in 2009 to launch PostNord. Denmark has been exchanging letters through the post office since 1624, but it is reported that the volume of letter shipments has decreased by more than 90% over the past 25 years. The discontinuation of letter delivery services applies only to Denmark, and postal services will continue as usual in Sweden. Danish stamps will be subject to a refund process.

Although the national letter delivery service is ending, it will still be possible to send letters in Denmark through the private company DAO. DAO plans to increase its letter deliveries from about 30 million in 2025 to 80 million next year. Among the decommissioned Danish mailboxes, 1,000 in good condition were all sold in about three hours at an auction held earlier this month, each fetching 2,000 Danish kroner (approximately 460,000 won).

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

Meanwhile, in South Korea, the trend of declining letter volume is similar to Denmark, but the national letter delivery service is being maintained. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT and Korea Post, the spread of email and messaging apps has led to a continuous decrease in regular mail, while registered mail, parcels, and courier shipments are on the rise. As a result, the number of red mailboxes installed across the country is gradually decreasing, and mailboxes in areas with low usage rates are being removed or relocated.

However, a complete discontinuation is not being considered, taking into account the needs of rural, island regions, and the elderly population. In addition, Korea Post is promoting digital transformation by expanding unmanned postal counters, mobile postal services, and electronic document-based registered mail services. In some local governments, decommissioned mailboxes are being repurposed as cultural installations or tourism resources.