Timeline

A chronological index of dated events drawn from the knowledge base. Regenerated by build-structure as new content is added.

| Date | Event | Category | Link | |—|—|—|—| | c. 57 BCE | Silla is founded in the Gyeongju basin | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | c. 37 BCE | Goguryeo is founded by Jumong in the northern peninsula | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | c. 18 BCE | Baekje establishes its first capital, Wiryeseong, near present-day Seoul | Geography | Seoul | | c. 18 BCE | Baekje is founded by Onjo in the southwestern peninsula | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 346 | King Geunchogo accedes, opening Baekje’s era of greatest military and cultural power | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 371 | Baekje storms Pyongyang and kills Goguryeo’s King Gogugwon under King Geunchogo | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 372 | Buddhism reaches Goguryeo and the Taehak national academy is founded | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 384 | Buddhism reaches Baekje through the monk Malananda | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 414 | The Gwanggaeto Stele is erected, commemorating Goguryeo’s expansion | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 427 | Goguryeo moves its capital to Pyongyang under King Jangsu | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 475 | Goguryeo sacks Wiryeseong and kills King Gaero; Baekje moves its capital south to Ungjin | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 528 | Silla adopts Buddhism as a state religion after Ichadon’s martyrdom | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 538 | Baekje moves its capital to Sabi (modern Buyeo) | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 538 | King Seong sends Buddhist images and scriptures to Japan’s Yamato court | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 554 | King Seong is killed at the Battle of Gwansanseong after Silla seizes the Han River basin | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 612 | Goguryeo’s Eulji Mundeok destroys a Sui army at the Salsu River | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 647 | The Cheomseongdae astronomical observatory is built in Gyeongju under Queen Seondeok | Geography | Gyeongju | | 660 | A Tang–Silla alliance conquers Baekje | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 660 | Gyebaek’s five thousand defenders make their last stand at Hwangsanbeol as Baekje falls to the Silla–Tang alliance | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 663 | Tang–Silla naval forces destroy a Baekje-restoration and Yamato fleet at the Battle of Baekgang | History | Unified Silla Period | | 668 | Goguryeo falls, ending the Three Kingdoms period | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 676 | Silla expels Tang forces, unifying the peninsula south of the Taedong River | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 686 | Wonhyo, Korea’s most celebrated Buddhist thinker, dies | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 751 | Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto are rebuilt in Gyeongju | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 751 | The Seokguram Grotto Buddha, a summit of Silla Buddhist sculpture, is carved near Gyeongju | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Visual Arts | | 771 | The Bell of King Seongdeok (the “Emille Bell”), Korea’s largest surviving bell, is cast in Gyeongju | Geography | Gyeongju | | 828 | Jang Bogo establishes the Cheonghaejin garrison, coming to dominate East Asian maritime trade | History | Unified Silla Period | | 892 | Gyeon Hwon founds Later Baekje, opening the Later Three Kingdoms as Unified Silla fragments | History | Unified Silla Period | | 918 | Wang Geon founds the Goryeo dynasty with its capital at Kaesong | History | Goryeo Period | | 935 | The last Silla king abdicates to Wang Geon, founder of Goryeo | History | Three Kingdoms Period | | 936 | Goryeo completes the reunification of the Later Three Kingdoms | History | Goryeo Period | | 938 | Tamna, Jeju’s indigenous kingdom, formally submits to Goryeo | History | Jeju Island | | 940 | Goryeo’s founder, Taejo, gives the southwestern city its enduring name, Gwangju | History | Gwangju | | 956 | Gwangjong’s slave-liberation edict curbs aristocratic power | History | Goryeo Period | | 958 | Gwangjong institutes the gwageo civil-service examination | History | Goryeo Period | | 993 | Seo Hui’s diplomacy ends the first Khitan invasion, extending Goryeo toward the Yalu River | History | Goryeo Period | | c. 1007 | Hallasan, Jeju’s shield volcano, has its last recorded eruption | Geography | Jeju Island | | 1019 | Gang Gam-chan destroys the Liao army at the Battle of Gwiju | History | Goryeo Period | | 1124 | Song envoy Xu Jing praises Goryeo celadon’s “kingfisher-blue” glaze | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Visual Arts | | 1170 | A military coup inaugurates a century of military rule in Goryeo | History | Goryeo Period | | 1231 | The Mongols launch the first of six invasions of Goryeo | History | Goryeo Period | | 1232 | The Goryeo court relocates to Ganghwa Island to resist the Mongols | History | Goryeo Period | | 1251 | The second Tripitaka Koreana is completed after decades of carving | History | Goryeo Period | | 1270 | Goryeo submits to the Mongol Yuan; the court returns to Kaesong | History | Goryeo Period | | 1377 | The Jikji, the oldest extant book printed with metal movable type, is printed in Cheongju | History | Goryeo Period | | 1388 | Yi Seong-gye turns his army back at Wihwa Island, seizing power | History | Goryeo Period | | 1392 | Yi Seong-gye founds the Joseon dynasty, ending Goryeo after 474 years | History | Goryeo Period | | 1394 | Hanyang (Seoul) designated permanent capital of the Joseon Dynasty | Geography | Seoul | | 1395 | Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine completed in Hanyang | Geography | Seoul | | 1405 | King Taejong completes Changdeokgung, later the principal Joseon palace | Culture & Society | Korean Royal Palaces and Heritage Sites | | 1398 | The First Strife of Princes; Jeong Do-jeon, architect of Joseon’s institutions, is killed | History | Joseon Dynasty | | 1418 | Sejong the Great accedes to the Joseon throne | History | Joseon Dynasty | | 1419 | Joseon’s Gihae Expedition strikes the waegu pirate base on Tsushima | People | Sejong the Great | | 1420 | Sejong expands the Hall of Worthies (Jiphyeonjeon) into a royal scholarly academy | People | Sejong the Great | | 1434 | Jang Yeong-sil builds the Jagyeongnu self-striking water clock for Sejong’s court | People | Sejong the Great | | 1441 | Sejong’s court produces the cheugugi, the world’s first standardized rain gauge | People | Sejong the Great | | 1443 | Sejong and Hall of Worthies scholars complete the Hunminjeongeum alphabet | Culture & Society | Hangul and the Korean Alphabet | | 1444 | Sejong enacts the Gongbeop graded land-tax reform after a nationwide survey | People | Sejong the Great | | 1446 | Sejong promulgates the Hangul alphabet in the Hunminjeongeum | History | Joseon Dynasty | | 1447 | The Yongbi Eocheon Ga, the first major literary work in Hangul, is composed | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 1450 | Sejong the Great dies after a thirty-two-year reign | People | Sejong the Great | | 1543 | Ju Se-bung founds Baegundong Seowon (later Sosu Seowon), Korea’s first Confucian academy | Culture & Society | Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism in Korea | | 1545 | Yi Sun-sin, later Korea’s foremost naval hero, is born in Hanseong (Seoul) | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1559 | The Four-Seven Debate begins between Yi Hwang (Toegye) and Gi Daeseung over the roots of the emotions (to 1566) | Culture & Society | Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism in Korea | | 1576 | Yi Sun-sin passes the military branch of the gwageo examination | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1591 | Yi Sun-sin is appointed Left Naval Commander of Jeolla Province | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1592 | Toyotomi Hideyoshi invades Korea, beginning the Imjin War | History | Joseon Dynasty | | 1592 | Yi Sun-sin wins his first naval battle at Okpo and soon deploys the geobukseon turtle ship at Sacheon | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1592 | Yi Sun-sin annihilates a Japanese fleet with the crane-wing formation at Hansando | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1597 | Admiral Yi Sun-sin destroys the Japanese fleet at Myeongnyang | History | Joseon Dynasty | | 1597 | Restored to command with only 13 warships, Yi Sun-sin routs a far larger fleet at Myeongnyang | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1598 | Yi Sun-sin is killed in victory at the Battle of Noryang as the Imjin War ends | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1601 | Daegu becomes the seat of the Gyeongsang provincial government | History | Daegu | | 1613 | Heo Jun’s Dongui Bogam systematizes ginseng within Korean medicine | Economy | Korean Ginseng Industry and Herbal Medicine | | 1637 | King Injo surrenders to the Qing at Samjeondo after the Byeongja Horan | History | Joseon Dynasty | | 1658 | Daegu’s Yangnyeong herbal-medicine market is established by royal decree | Culture & Society | Daegu | | 1751 | Jeong Seon paints “Inwang jesaekdo,” a landmark of True-View landscape painting | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Visual Arts | | 1784 | Yi Seung-hun is baptized in Beijing, founding Korea’s Catholic community | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 1794 | Construction begins on Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon under King Jeongjo | Geography | Gyeonggi Province | | 1794 | Construction of Hwaseong Fortress begins at Suwon under King Jeongjo | Geography | Suwon | | 1796 | Hwaseong Fortress is completed, a landmark of Joseon military architecture | Geography | Gyeonggi Province | | 1801 | The Sinyu Persecution executes hundreds of Korean Catholics | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 1866 | The Byeongin Persecution kills thousands of Catholics; a French expedition is repulsed at Ganghwa | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 1868 | The Heungseon Daewongun completes the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung, ruined since the Imjin War | Culture & Society | Korean Royal Palaces and Heritage Sites | | 1875-03-26 | Syngman Rhee, the founding president of the Republic of Korea, is born in Hwanghae Province | People | Syngman Rhee | | 1876 | Japan-Korea Treaty of Ganghwa forces Korea to open its ports to Japan | History | Japanese Colonial Period | | 1876 | Busan opened as Korea’s first treaty port under the Ganghwa Treaty | Geography | Busan | | 1883 | Jemulpo (Incheon) opens as a treaty port, beginning its rise as Korea’s western gateway | Geography | Incheon | | 1885 | American Protestant missionaries Underwood and Appenzeller arrive in Korea | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 1894 | The Donghak Peasant Revolt rises against taxation and foreign encroachment | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1896 | Gwangju becomes the provincial capital of the newly created South Jeolla Province | Geography | Gwangju | | 1896 | King Gojong takes to coffee while sheltering at the Russian legation in Seoul | Culture & Society | Coffee Culture in South Korea | | 1897 | Gojong proclaims the Empire of Korea (Daehan Jeguk), ending the Joseon kingdom’s old order | History | Joseon Dynasty | | 1897 | Emperor Gojong makes Deoksugung the seat of the new Korean Empire after his return from the Russian legation | Culture & Society | Korean Royal Palaces and Heritage Sites | | 1899 | The Gyeongin Line, Korea’s first railway, opens between Seoul and Incheon | Geography | Incheon | | 1899 | The Korean government establishes a red-ginseng monopoly, the origin of the Korea Ginseng Corporation | Economy | Korean Ginseng Industry and Herbal Medicine | | 1902 | The Sontag Hotel, Korea’s first Western-style coffeehouse, opens in Seoul | Culture & Society | Coffee Culture in South Korea | | 1903 | The first organized Korean emigration to the Americas begins as laborers ship to Hawaii’s plantations (1903–1905) | Geography | Korean Diaspora and Overseas Korean Communities | | 1905-01-01 | The Gyeongbu Line opens, establishing the railway junction that becomes Daejeon | Geography | Daejeon | | 1905-11-17 | Eulsa Treaty strips Korea of diplomatic sovereignty under Japanese duress | History | Japanese Colonial Period | | 1907 | Emperor Gojong is forced to abdicate and the Korean army is disbanded | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1907 | The Pyongyang Great Revival shapes the character of Korean Protestantism | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 1908 | Choe Nam-seon’s “From the Sea to Children” inaugurates modern Korean free verse | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 1908 | A standardized red-ginseng processing house is established at Gaeseong under colonial administration | Economy | Korean Ginseng Industry and Herbal Medicine | | 1909 | Japanese authorities convert Changgyeonggung into a zoo and botanical garden, renaming it Changgyeongwon | Culture & Society | Korean Royal Palaces and Heritage Sites | | 1909-10-26 | An Jung-geun assassinates Itō Hirobumi at Harbin Station | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1910 | Japan annexes Korea; the capital is renamed Keijō | History | Seoul | | 1910-03-26 | An Jung-geun is executed at Lüshun Prison | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1910-08-22 | Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty incorporates Korea into the Japanese Empire | History | Japanese Colonial Period | | 1911 | The colonial Temple Ordinance brings Korean Buddhist temples under state control | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 1914 | The Honam Line railway (Daejeon–Mokpo) is completed, opening North Jeolla’s rice plains to national markets | Geography | North Jeolla Province | | 1917-11-14 | Park Chung-hee born in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province | People | Park Chung-hee | | 1919-03-01 | March 1st Movement against Japanese rule begins in Seoul | History | Seoul | | 1919-04-11 | Korean Provisional Government established in exile in Shanghai | History | Japanese Colonial Period | | 1919-04-15 | Jeam-ri Massacre: Japanese troops burn villagers in a Suwon church | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1920-09-28 | Independence activist Yu Gwan-sun dies in Seodaemun Prison | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1920-10 | Battle of Qingshanli: Korean forces defeat the Japanese in Manchuria | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1921 | The Gold Crown Tomb (Geumgwanchong) is excavated in Gyeongju, yielding a spectacular Silla gold crown | Geography | Gyeongju | | 1922 | Kim Sowol publishes “Azaleas,” a landmark of modern Korean lyric poetry | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 1924-01-06 | Kim Dae-jung born on Hauido, South Jeolla Province | People | Kim Dae-jung | | 1926 | Na Woon-gyu’s silent film “Arirang” becomes an early nationalist landmark | Culture & Society | Film and Cinema Industry | | 1926 | The Japanese Government-General Building is completed in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace | Culture & Society | Architecture and Urban Design | | 1927-12-20 | Kim Young-sam is born on Geoje Island | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1929-11-03 | The Gwangju Student Independence Movement erupts and spreads into a nationwide anti-colonial protest | History | Gwangju | | 1932-04-29 | Yun Bong-gil bombs a Japanese ceremony at Shanghai’s Hongkou Park | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1933 | The Korean Language Society issues the Unified Hangul Orthography, the basis of modern spelling | Culture & Society | Hangul and the Korean Alphabet | | 1936 | Yi Sang’s modernist novella “Wings” appears, pioneering Korean stream-of-consciousness prose | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 1937 | Stalin deports some 172,000 Soviet Koreans from the Far East to Central Asia, creating the Koryo-saram diaspora | Geography | Korean Diaspora and Overseas Korean Communities | | 1938 | Lee Byung-chul founds Samsung as a trading company | Economy | Chaebol | | 1940-02 | Sōshi-kaimei policy pressures Koreans to adopt Japanese-style names | History | Japanese Colonial Period | | 1940-09-17 | The Korean Liberation Army is founded in Chongqing | History | Korean Independence Movement | | 1941-12-19 | Lee Myung-bak born to a Korean family in Osaka, Japan | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 1942 | The Korean Language Society Incident: colonial authorities arrest and torture Hangul scholars | Culture & Society | Hangul and the Korean Alphabet | | 1945 | Pacific Chemical Industrial, the predecessor of Amorepacific, is founded, later anchoring the K-beauty industry | Economy | K-beauty and Cosmetics Industry | | 1945-02-16 | Poet Yun Dong-ju dies in Fukuoka Prison under Japanese detention | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 1945-08-15 | Liberation from Japan; the peninsula is divided at the 38th parallel | History | Korean War | | 1945-09-08 | U.S. forces land at Incheon and establish the military government (USMGIK) in the south | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1945-12 | The Moscow Conference proposes a multinational trusteeship over Korea, igniting mass protest | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1946-08 | Seoul National University established in Seoul | Culture & Society | Education and Universities | | 1946-09-01 | Roh Moo-hyun is born in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 1946-10 | The Daegu Autumn Uprising spreads across the southern provinces | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1947-01-05 | Koo In-hwoi founds the Lucky (Lak-Hui) chemical company in Busan, the origin of the LG Group | Economy | LG Group and LG Electronics | | 1948 | The Korea Football Association is founded and admitted to FIFA | Culture & Society | Korean Football and Professional Leagues | | 1948-04-03 | The Jeju April 3 Incident begins; suppression continues into 1954 | History | Jeju Island | | 1948-05-10 | Koreans in the south elect a constituent National Assembly under UN observation | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1948-07-17 | The Constitution of the Republic of Korea is promulgated | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1948-07-20 | The National Assembly elects Syngman Rhee president in the first (indirect) presidential vote | Government & Politics | Electoral System and the National Assembly | | 1948-08-15 | Republic of Korea proclaimed under Syngman Rhee; Seoul becomes its capital | History | Korean War | | 1948-09-09 | The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is founded in the north under Kim Il-sung | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1948-10-19 | The Yeosu–Suncheon rebellion erupts among troops ordered to suppress Jeju | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1948-12-01 | The National Security Law is enacted, anchoring decades of anticommunist repression | History | Korean Liberation and Founding | | 1950-06-25 | North Korea invades the South, beginning the Korean War | History | Korean War | | 1950-06-28 | Seoul falls to North Korean forces | History | Korean War | | 1950-07-20 | U.S. forces fight the delaying Battle of Taejon; Maj. Gen. William F. Dean is captured | Geography | Daejeon | | 1950-08 | UN and ROK forces hold the Busan Perimeter, the Korean War’s last defensive line | Geography | Busan | | 1950-09-15 | Incheon Landing (Operation Chromite) reverses the war | History | Korean War | | 1950-09-28 | UN forces recapture Seoul | History | Korean War | | 1950-10-19 | Chinese People’s Volunteer Army enters the war across the Yalu | History | Korean War | | 1951-03-14 | Seoul retaken by UN forces for the final time | History | Korean War | | 1952-02-02 | Park Geun-hye, later South Korea’s first female president, is born in Daegu | People | Park Geun-hye | | 1952-05-07 | Communist POWs seize Geoje Island camp commandant Gen. Francis Dodd | History | Korean War | | 1953 | The Labor Standards Act is enacted, setting basic worker protections long left unenforced | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 1953-01-24 | Moon Jae-in is born on Geoje Island to refugee parents from the North | People | Moon Jae-in | | 1953-07-27 | Korean Armistice Agreement signed at Panmunjom | History | Korean War | | 1953-07-27 | The armistice establishes the Demilitarized Zone along the Military Demarcation Line | Geography | The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) | | 1953-10-01 | U.S.–ROK Mutual Defense Treaty signed | History | Korean War | | 1954 | The Korea Development Bank is founded to channel long-term industrial credit | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 1954 | A Buddhist purification drive consolidates the Jogye Order; the Unification Church is founded | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 1954 | Kim Young-sam is elected to the National Assembly at 26, its youngest-ever member | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1954 | South Korea makes its first FIFA World Cup appearance, at the tournament in Switzerland | Culture & Society | Korean Football and Professional Leagues | | 1954-11-17 | The U.S.–ROK Mutual Defense Treaty enters into force, formalizing the alliance | Government & Politics | South Korea–United States Relations and Alliance | | 1958 | GoldStar Co. is established as LG’s electronics arm | Economy | LG Group and LG Electronics | | 1959 | GoldStar (now LG) produces Korea’s first domestically made radio | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 1959 | The Korea Taekwondo Association is founded, standardizing the newly named martial art | Culture & Society | Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts | | 1956-05-12 | HLKZ-TV, South Korea’s first television station, begins broadcasting in Seoul | Culture & Society | Korean Broadcast Television Industry | | 1960 | Kim Ki-young’s “The Housemaid” is released, later hailed as a masterpiece | Culture & Society | Film and Cinema Industry | | 1960 | Choi In-hun’s novel “Plaza” confronts the ideological division of Korea | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 1960-04-19 | The April Revolution erupts against Syngman Rhee’s rigged re-election, with police killing scores of protesters in Seoul | People | Syngman Rhee | | 1960-04-26 | Syngman Rhee resigns the presidency and goes into exile in Hawaii | People | Syngman Rhee | | 1960-12-18 | Yoon Suk-yeol is born in Seoul | People | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 1961 | Park Chung-hee’s government brings the commercial banks under state control | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 1961-05-16 | Park Chung-hee seizes power in a military coup | People | Park Chung-hee | | 1961-12-02 | Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) is founded | Culture & Society | Korean Broadcast Television Industry | | 1962 | Ulsan is designated South Korea’s first Special Industrial District | Geography | Ulsan | | 1962 | The Korea Tourism Organization is founded to promote inbound tourism | Economy | Tourism Industry in South Korea | | 1963 | Korean miners and nurses begin migrating to West Germany under a labor agreement, and agricultural emigration to Brazil starts | Geography | Korean Diaspora and Overseas Korean Communities | | 1964 | Pansori is designated Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 5 | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Music and Performing Arts | | 1964-12-22 | Lee Jae-myung is born into a poor family in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province | People | Lee Jae-myung | | 1965-06-22 | Treaty on Basic Relations normalizes South Korea–Japan ties | People | Park Chung-hee | | 1967 | Hyundai Motor Company is founded by Chung Ju-yung | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 1967 | The Yeosu National Industrial Complex is established on the south coast | Economy | Petrochemicals and Heavy Chemical Industry | | 1967 | Park Seo-bo begins his “Ecriture” series, a foundation of the Dansaekhwa movement | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Visual Arts | | 1968 | A bronze statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin is erected at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 1968 | The Gyeongju area is designated a national park, the only Korean national park centered on cultural heritage | Geography | Gyeongju | | 1968 | POSCO (Pohang Iron and Steel) is founded to build an integrated steel mill at Pohang | Geography | North Gyeongsang Province | | 1968-01-21 | North Korean commandos raid to within reach of the Blue House, spurring rearmament | Government & Politics | Military and Defense Policy | | 1968-01-25 | Lee Jae-yong, later chairman of Samsung Electronics, is born in Seoul | People | Lee Jae-yong | | 1969 | Samsung Electronics is founded | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 1969 | The Electronics Industry Promotion Law designates electronics a strategic sector | Economy | Technology and Innovation Policy | | 1970 | Samsung begins consumer-electronics manufacturing at its Suwon plant | Geography | Suwon | | 1970-07 | The Seoul–Busan (Gyeongbu) Expressway is completed, South Korea’s first limited-access highway | Economy | Construction Industry and Real Estate Development | | 1970-11-13 | Garment worker Jeon Tae-il self-immolates, demanding enforcement of the Labor Standards Act | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 1970-11-27 | Han Kang, later the first Korean Nobel laureate in literature, is born in Gwangju | People | Han Kang | | 1971 | The intact Muryeong Royal Tomb of Baekje is discovered in Gongju | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 1971 | KAIST founded in Daejeon as a state-directed research university | Culture & Society | Education and Universities | | 1971-04-27 | Kim Dae-jung wins 45% of the vote against Park Chung-hee in the presidential election | People | Kim Dae-jung | | 1972 | South Korea’s first naphtha cracker starts up at the Ulsan Petrochemical Complex | Economy | Petrochemicals and Heavy Chemical Industry | | 1972 | The August 3 Emergency Decree freezes the informal curb-loan market | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 1972 | Hyundai breaks ground on its Ulsan shipyard, the future world’s largest | Economy | Shipbuilding Industry | | 1972 | The Yushin constitution abolishes direct presidential elections in favor of an indirect electoral college | Government & Politics | Electoral System and the National Assembly | | 1972 | Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo headquarters and central dan-certification body, opens in Seoul | Culture & Society | Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts | | 1972-08-09 | Bang Si-hyuk, founder of HYBE, is born in Seoul | People | Bang Si-hyuk | | 1972-10-17 | Park declares martial law, ushering in the authoritarian Yushin system | People | Park Chung-hee | | 1973 | Busan Tower opens atop Yongdusan Park | Geography | Busan | | 1973 | Daewoo’s Okpo shipyard is established on Geoje Island | Economy | Shipbuilding Industry | | 1973 | Park Chung-hee launches the Daedeok Science Town, seeding Daejeon’s research complex | Geography | Daejeon | | 1973 | KBS is reorganized as a public corporation and launches its flagship 9 O’Clock News | Culture & Society | Korean Broadcast Television Industry | | 1973 | The Soyang Dam is completed, creating Soyang Lake, South Korea’s largest reservoir | Geography | Gangwon Province | | 1973 | POSCO’s first blast furnace begins production at Pohang, launching integrated steelmaking in Korea | Geography | North Gyeongsang Province | | 1973 | The World Taekwondo Federation (later World Taekwondo) is established in Seoul | Culture & Society | Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts | | 1973-08-08 | KCIA agents kidnap Kim Dae-jung from a Tokyo hotel | People | Kim Dae-jung | | 1974 | Samsung enters the semiconductor business, acquiring Korea Semiconductor | Economy | Semiconductors | | 1974 | The Yulgok Project launches a decade-long armed-forces modernization drive | Government & Politics | Military and Defense Policy | | 1974-08-15 | Seoul Metro Line 1 opens | Geography | Seoul | | 1974-08-15 | Seoul Subway Line 1 opens, the country’s first metro line | Geography | Public Transportation and Urban Mobility | | 1974-08-15 | First Lady Yuk Young-soo killed in an assassination attempt on Park | People | Park Chung-hee | | 1975 | Roh Moo-hyun passes the bar as a self-taught lawyer without a university degree | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 1975 | Hyundai launches the Pony, Korea’s first domestically designed car | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 1975 | Seoul National University relocates to its purpose-built Gwanak campus in southern Seoul | Culture & Society | Seoul National University | | 1976 | Dongsuh launches its “Maxim” instant coffee-mix brand | Culture & Society | Coffee Culture in South Korea | | 1976 | The Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) is established to finance exports | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 1976-08-18 | The Panmunjom Axe Murder Incident kills two U.S. officers; Operation Paul Bunyan follows | Geography | The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) | | 1977 | The Medical Insurance System launches, mandating health coverage for large-firm employees and civil servants | Economy | Healthcare System in South Korea | | 1977 | Lee Myung-bak becomes CEO of Hyundai Engineering & Construction at 35 | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 1978 | Kim Duk-soo’s quartet creates samulnori, a staged concert form of Korean folk percussion | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Music and Performing Arts | | 1978-04 | Kori-1, South Korea’s first commercial nuclear reactor, begins operation near Busan | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 1978-10 | South Korea discovers the Third Infiltration Tunnel dug under the DMZ near Panmunjom | Geography | The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) | | 1979-10-16 | Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising erupts in Busan against the Yushin system | History | Busan | | 1979-10-26 | Park Chung-hee assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu | People | Park Chung-hee | | 1979-12-12 | Chun Doo-hwan seizes military control in the December 12 coup | History | Democratization | | 1980-05-18 | Gwangju Uprising begins; paratroopers suppress pro-democracy protests | History | Democratization | | 1980-05-27 | The army retakes Gwangju’s Provincial Hall, ending the ten-day uprising | History | Gwangju Uprising (May 18 Incident) | | 1980-09-17 | A military tribunal sentences Kim Dae-jung to death after the Gwangju Uprising | People | Kim Dae-jung | | 1981 | Korean overseas construction employment in the Middle East peaks at about 175,000 workers | Economy | Construction Industry and Real Estate Development | | 1981 | Korea Telecom is established as the state telecommunications operator | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 1981-07-01 | Daegu is separated from North Gyeongsang Province as a Directly Governed City | Geography | Daegu | | 1982 | The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) is founded with six teams | Culture & Society | Sports and the Olympic Games | | 1983 | Hyundai Electronics, later SK Hynix, is founded | Economy | Semiconductors | | 1983 | The Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) is established to import and distribute LNG | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 1983 | The Korean Super League, the country’s first professional football division, is founded; Hallelujah FC wins the inaugural title | Culture & Society | Korean Football and Professional Leagues | | 1983-05 | Kim Young-sam stages a 23-day hunger strike against the Chun regime | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1984 | Korea Mobile Telecommunications, later SK Telecom, launches the first cellular network | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 1986 | The government-led VLSI project (1986–1990) accelerates Korea’s DRAM catch-up | Economy | Technology and Innovation Policy | | 1986 | Nongshim launches Shin Ramyun, later exported to over 100 countries | Culture & Society | Korean Cuisine | | 1986 | South Korea’s first LNG imports begin under a long-term contract with Indonesia | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 1986 | Hyundai enters the U.S. market with the Excel, its first American export | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 1987 | Lee Kun-hee becomes chairman of Samsung Group after his father Lee Byung-chul’s death | People | Lee Kun-hee | | 1987-01-14 | Student Park Jong-chul dies under police torture, galvanizing dissent | History | Democratization | | 1987-04-13 | Chun Doo-hwan rejects direct elections in the “April 13 measure” | History | Democratization | | 1987-06-10 | June Democratic Struggle erupts in nationwide mass protests | History | Democratization | | 1987-06-29 | Roh Tae-woo’s June 29 Declaration accepts direct presidential elections | History | Democratization | | 1987-07 | The Great Workers’ Struggle brings a wave of mass strikes across Korean industry | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 1987-12-16 | Roh Tae-woo wins the first direct presidential election in 16 years | History | Democratization | | 1988 | Roh Moo-hyun wins a Busan seat and gains fame in the Fifth Republic hearings | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 1988-02-25 | Roh Tae-woo inaugurated, opening the Sixth Republic | History | Democratization | | 1988-09-17 | Seoul hosts the Summer Olympic Games | Geography | Seoul | | 1988-09-17 | South Korea finishes fourth in the medal table at the Seoul Olympics it hosts | Culture & Society | Sports and the Olympic Games | | 1989 | The First Generation New Towns of Bundang and Ilsan are launched around Seoul | Geography | Gyeonggi Province | | 1989 | Lotte World opens in Seoul, becoming a flagship domestic tourist attraction | Economy | Tourism Industry in South Korea | | 1989 | Daejeon is elevated to a direct-jurisdiction city as KAIST relocates to Daedeok | Geography | Daejeon | | 1989 | Seollal is reinstated as a three-day national holiday, restoring the Lunar New Year | Culture & Society | Seollal — Korea’s Lunar New Year | | 1990-01 | The three-party merger forms the Democratic Liberal Party under Kim Young-sam | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1990-01 | The three-party merger consolidates the conservative bloc, entrenching the TK–Honam party divide | Government & Politics | Political Parties and Regionalism | | 1990-09-30 | South Korea and the Soviet Union establish diplomatic relations under Roh Tae-woo’s Nordpolitik | People | Roh Tae-woo | | 1991 | The National Institute of the Korean Language is established as the state authority for language standardization | Culture & Society | Korean Language and Linguistics | | 1991-09-17 | North and South Korea are simultaneously admitted to the United Nations | People | Roh Tae-woo | | 1991-12 | The two Koreas sign the Basic Agreement on reconciliation, non-aggression, and exchange | People | Roh Tae-woo | | 1991-12 | SBS begins television broadcasting, ending the KBS–MBC duopoly | Culture & Society | Korean Broadcast Television Industry | | 1992 | Seo Taiji and Boys debut, launching modern Korean popular music | Culture & Society | Hallyu | | 1992-01-08 | The weekly Wednesday Demonstration for the “comfort women” begins outside Japan’s embassy in Seoul | Culture & Society | Women’s Movements and Gender Equality | | 1992-02 | Short-track speed skating becomes an Olympic medal event; Kim Ki-hoon wins South Korea’s first gold at Albertville | Culture & Society | Sports and the Olympic Games | | 1992-04-29 | The Los Angeles riots (“Sa-I-Gu”) devastate Korean-owned businesses, galvanizing Korean-American civic politics | Geography | Korean Diaspora and Overseas Korean Communities | | 1992-08-24 | South Korea normalizes diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China | People | Roh Tae-woo | | 1992-12-18 | Kim Young-sam elected, the first civilian president since 1961 | History | Democratization | | 1993 | Lee Kun-hee’s “Frankfurt Declaration” launches Samsung’s “New Management” quality drive | People | Lee Kun-hee | | 1993-02-25 | Kim Young-sam inaugurated, consolidating civilian democratic rule | History | Democratization | | 1993-03 | Kim Young-sam purges the Hanahoe military clique from the army command | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1993-08-07 | Daejeon hosts the World Exposition (Expo ‘93), drawing some 14 million visitors | Geography | Daejeon | | 1993-08-12 | The Real-Name Financial Transaction System is introduced by emergency decree | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1994 | Nexon is founded by Kim Jung-ju and Jake Song, pioneering online free-to-play gaming | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 1994-12 | South Korea regains peacetime operational control (OPCON) of its forces from the U.S.-led command | Government & Politics | South Korea–United States Relations and Alliance | | 1995 | Bulguksa Temple and the Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites | Geography | Gyeongju | | 1995 | Daegu is redesignated a Metropolitan City | Geography | Daegu | | 1995 | Lee Kun-hee orders defective Samsung phones publicly burned at the Gumi plant | People | Lee Kun-hee | | 1995 | The first Gwangju Biennale opens, Asia’s first major international contemporary-art biennale | Culture & Society | Gwangju | | 1995 | The colonial Government-General Building is demolished on the 50th anniversary of liberation | Culture & Society | Architecture and Urban Design | | 1995 | Lucky-Goldstar adopts the LG brand and a new corporate identity | Economy | LG Group and LG Electronics | | 1995-11-11 | The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is founded as an independent labor federation | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 1996 | H.O.T. debuts as the first fully managed K-pop idol group | Culture & Society | K-pop Industry | | 1996 | South Korea launches the world’s first commercial CDMA mobile network | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 1996-08 | Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo are convicted for the 1979–80 coups and corruption | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1996-10 | Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s first major film festival, is inaugurated | Culture & Society | Busan | | 1996-12-12 | South Korea joins the OECD as its 29th member | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1997 | Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site | Geography | Gyeonggi Province | | 1997 | Changdeokgung Palace and its Secret Garden are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site | Culture & Society | Korean Royal Palaces and Heritage Sites | | 1997 | The Hunminjeongeum Haerye is inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World register | Culture & Society | Hangul and the Korean Alphabet | | 1997 | The Overseas Koreans Foundation is established to coordinate ties with the global Korean diaspora | Geography | Korean Diaspora and Overseas Korean Communities | | 1997-01 | Hanbo Steel collapses, the first major chaebol failure in a decade and a prelude to the crisis | History | The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis | | 1997-03 | NCSoft is founded by Kim Taek-jin, becoming a leading MMORPG developer | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 1997-07-15 | Ulsan is elevated to a Metropolitan City, separating from South Gyeongsang Province | Geography | Ulsan | | 1997-11 | Foreign banks refuse to roll over Korea’s short-term debt, forcing an IMF rescue request | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 1997-12 | South Korea accepts a record IMF bailout during the Asian Financial Crisis | Economy | Chaebol | | 1997-12-03 | Korea signs a $57 billion IMF standby agreement, the largest in the Fund’s history to that date | History | The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis | | 1997-12-18 | Kim Dae-jung elected president, the first peaceful transfer of power to an opposition party | People | Kim Dae-jung | | 1997-12-22 | Kim Young-sam pardons Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo before leaving office | People | Kim Young-sam | | 1998 | Se Ri Pak wins the U.S. Women’s Open, inspiring the “Se Ri Kids” golf generation | Culture & Society | Sports and the Olympic Games | | 1998-01 | The Tripartite Commission is established to negotiate IMF-era labor reforms | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 1998-01 | The Gold Collection Campaign gathers some 226 tonnes of gold from millions of Koreans to help replenish reserves | History | The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis | | 1998-02 | The Labor Standards Act is revised to legalize layoffs for managerial reasons, entrenching labor-market dualism | History | The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis | | 1998-02-25 | Kim Dae-jung inaugurated as the 15th president amid the IMF crisis | People | Kim Dae-jung | | 1998-03 | StarCraft launches and spreads through PC bangs, igniting Korea’s professional esports scene | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 1998-04 | Park Geun-hye enters the National Assembly, winning a by-election in Daegu | People | Park Geun-hye | | 1998-09 | NCSoft’s Lineage launches, becoming a foundational commercial MMORPG | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 1998-11-18 | Mount Kumgang tourism from the South begins under Hyundai | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 1998-12 | Hyundai acquires the bankrupt Kia Motors, forming Hyundai Motor Group | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 1999 | Daewoo Group collapses in the largest corporate bankruptcy of its time | Economy | Chaebol | | 1999-07 | Daewoo Group collapses with about $80 billion in debt, among the largest corporate failures in world history | History | The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis | | 1999-07 | Starbucks opens its first Korean store near Ewha Womans University in Seoul | Culture & Society | Coffee Culture in South Korea | | 1999 | Brain Korea 21 (BK21) university research program launched | Culture & Society | Education and Universities | | 1999 | Naver, later South Korea’s dominant search portal, is founded | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 1999 | “Shiri” proves Korean cinema can rival Hollywood at the box office | Culture & Society | Film and Cinema Industry | | 1999 | LG Display is established (as the LG.Philips LCD joint venture) | Economy | LG Group and LG Electronics | | 2000 | Missha launches the “price-innovation” cosmetics model, a precursor of the global K-beauty e-commerce boom | Economy | K-beauty and Cosmetics Industry | | 2000 | Taekwondo debuts as a full Olympic medal sport at the Sydney Games | Culture & Society | Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts | | 2000 | The Revised Romanization of Korean is adopted as the official system, replacing McCune–Reischauer in government use | Culture & Society | Korean Language and Linguistics | | 2000-06-15 | First inter-Korean summit; June 15 Joint Declaration signed in Pyongyang | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 2000-07-01 | All prior insurance schemes merge into a single National Health Insurance under the NHIS, reaching near-universal coverage | Economy | Healthcare System in South Korea | | 2000-12 | UNESCO inscribes the Gyeongju Historic Areas as a World Heritage Site | Geography | Gyeongju | | 2000-12-10 | Kim Dae-jung awarded the Nobel Peace Prize | History | Democratization | | 2001-03 | Incheon International Airport opens | Geography | Seoul | | 2001-08 | Korea repays its IMF loans nearly three years ahead of schedule | History | The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis | | 2002 | The state red-ginseng monopoly ends and the Korea Ginseng Corporation is privatized | Economy | Korean Ginseng Industry and Herbal Medicine | | 2002 | Naver merges with the game company Hangame to form NHN and launches the Knowledge iN Q&A service | Economy | Naver | | 2002 | Smilegate is founded by Kwon Hyuk-bin, later maker of Crossfire and Lost Ark | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2002 | Gravity’s Ragnarok Online launches, a hit across Southeast Asia | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2002 | “Winter Sonata” airs, fueling the early Korean Wave across Asia | Culture & Society | Hallyu | | 2002 | South Korea attains the world’s highest broadband penetration rate | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 2002 | The Jeju Free International City initiative launches visa-free entry through Jeju | Economy | Tourism Industry in South Korea | | 2002 | Suwon World Cup Stadium hosts matches at the FIFA World Cup co-hosted by South Korea | Geography | Suwon | | 2002-06 | South Korea reaches the FIFA World Cup semi-finals as co-host, an Asian best | Culture & Society | Sports and the Olympic Games | | 2002-09 | Busan hosts the 14th Asian Games, with North Korea participating | Culture & Society | Busan | | 2002-12-19 | Roh Moo-hyun wins the presidential election with 48.9% of the vote | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 2003 | The credit-card bubble bursts, leaving millions of Koreans delinquent | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 2003 | Construction begins on Incheon’s Songdo International Business District on reclaimed tidal flats | Geography | Incheon | | 2003 | Pansori is proclaimed a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Music and Performing Arts | | 2003-02-18 | An arson fire at Daegu’s Jungang-ro subway station kills 192 people | History | Daegu | | 2003-02-25 | Roh Moo-hyun is inaugurated as the 16th president | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 2003-04 | Nexon’s MapleStory launches, popularizing the item-shop free-to-play model | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2003-09 | “Jewel in the Palace” (Dae Jang Geum) airs on MBC, extending K-drama’s reach across Asia | Culture & Society | Korean Drama Industry | | 2003-10-31 | President Roh Moo-hyun apologizes for the state’s role in the Jeju April 3 Incident | History | Jeju Island | | 2004 | Naver launches its webtoon platform, standardizing the vertical-scroll mobile comics format as Kang Full’s viral Apartment marks the medium’s early breakthrough | Culture & Society | Webtoons and Digital Comics | | 2004 | The Employment Permit System opens legal channels for migrant workers | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 2004 | The Leeum Museum of Art opens in Seoul with buildings by Botta, Nouvel, and Koolhaas | Culture & Society | Architecture and Urban Design | | 2004 | A separate party-list ballot introduces two-vote proportional representation to National Assembly elections | Government & Politics | Electoral System and the National Assembly | | 2004-03-12 | The National Assembly impeaches President Roh Moo-hyun | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 2004-04-01 | KTX high-speed rail service opens on the Gyeongbu Line between Seoul and Busan, Korea’s first bullet train | Geography | Public Transportation and Urban Mobility | | 2004-04 | KTX high-speed rail service launches from Seoul | Geography | Seoul | | 2004-04 | Gwangju Metro Line 1 opens, the first subway in the Honam region | Geography | Gwangju | | 2004-05 | Constitutional Court dismisses President Roh Moo-hyun’s impeachment | Government & Politics | Government Structure | | 2004-05 | Park Chan-wook’s “Oldboy” wins the Grand Prix at Cannes | Culture & Society | Film and Cinema Industry | | 2005 | Bang Si-hyuk founds Big Hit Entertainment, later HYBE | People | Bang Si-hyuk | | 2005 | Pangyo Techno Valley development begins near Seoul as a high-tech cluster | Economy | Technology and Innovation Policy | | 2005 | The Kaesong Industrial Complex begins production just north of the DMZ | Geography | The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) | | 2005 | Family-law reform abolishes the hoju household-head system, a landmark for women’s legal equality | Culture & Society | Women’s Movements and Gender Equality | | 2005 | Kim Sung-joo’s Sungjoo Group acquires the German luxury house MCM, bringing it under Korean ownership | Culture & Society | Korean Fashion and Clothing Industry | | 2005 | The Gangneung Danoje Festival, incorporating shamanic rites, is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list | Culture & Society | Korean Shamanism and Muism | | 2005-04 | NCSoft’s ArenaNet studio releases Guild Wars, a “buy-to-play” MMO hit in the West | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2005-09 | Cheonggyecheon stream restoration completed under Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2005-11 | Busan hosts the APEC Leaders’ Summit at Bexco | Government & Politics | Busan | | 2006-07-01 | Jeju is designated a Special Self-Governing Province | Geography | Jeju Island | | 2006-10-09 | North Korea conducts its first nuclear test | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 2007 | Bluehole Studio, later Krafton, is founded by Jang Byung-gyu | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2007 | Smilegate’s Crossfire launches, becoming a massive hit in China | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2007 | Hanjin Heavy Industries delivers the ROKS Dokdo amphibious assault ship | Economy | Shipbuilding Industry | | 2007 | Han Kang publishes The Vegetarian, her breakthrough novel | People | Han Kang | | 2007 | Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site | Geography | Jeju Island | | 2007 | The first Sejong Institute opens, seeding the global network for overseas Korean-language teaching | Culture & Society | Korean Language and Linguistics | | 2007-06-30 | Roh’s government signs the Korea–United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 2007-10-04 | Roh Moo-hyun holds the second inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang; the October 4 Declaration is issued | Government & Politics | Roh Moo-hyun | | 2007-12-19 | Lee Myung-bak elected president with 48.7% of the vote | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2008 | Hyundai launches the Genesis luxury sedan, moving upmarket | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 2008 | Amorepacific’s IOPE introduces the cushion compact, a signature K-beauty format later copied by Western luxury brands | Economy | K-beauty and Cosmetics Industry | | 2008-07 | Long-Term Care Insurance launches, adding a separate elder-care benefit alongside National Health Insurance | Economy | Healthcare System in South Korea | | 2008-02-25 | Lee Myung-bak inaugurated as president | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2008-06 | Candlelight protests over U.S. beef imports draw hundreds of thousands | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2008-08 | Lee Myung-bak unveils the “Low Carbon, Green Growth” national strategy | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2009 | The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project begins, later faulted for ecological harm | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2009 | UNESCO inscribes the Ganggangsullae circle dance, performed on Chuseok night, as Intangible Cultural Heritage | Culture & Society | Chuseok | | 2009 | The Jeju Chilmeori-dang Yeongdeung-gut shamanic ritual is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list | Culture & Society | Korean Shamanism and Muism | | 2009-05-23 | Former president Roh Moo-hyun dies by suicide near his home in Gimhae | People | Roh Moo-hyun | | 2009-08-18 | Kim Dae-jung dies in Seoul at 85 | People | Kim Dae-jung | | 2009-10 | The Incheon Bridge opens, linking Songdo to Yeongjong Island and Incheon International Airport | Geography | Incheon | | 2009-12 | A KEPCO consortium wins a $20.4 billion contract to build four reactors at Barakah in the UAE | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 2010-01 | The Framework Act on Low Carbon, Green Growth is enacted | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2010-03-18 | KakaoTalk launches, soon becoming South Korea’s dominant mobile messenger | Economy | Kakao | | 2010-03-26 | ROKS Cheonan sinks in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 sailors | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 2010-04-27 | The 33-km Saemangeum seawall is completed off North Jeolla, enclosing the Mangyeong and Dongjin estuaries | Geography | North Jeolla Province | | 2010-07-01 | Masan and Jinhae merge into Changwon, the largest municipal merger in Korean history | Geography | South Gyeongsang Province | | 2010-07-01 | Lee Jae-myung takes office as mayor of Seongnam | People | Lee Jae-myung | | 2010-08 | Gwanghwamun Gate is restored to its original position before Gyeongbokgung | Culture & Society | Korean Royal Palaces and Heritage Sites | | 2010-11 | Seoul hosts the G20 summit under President Lee Myung-bak | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2010-11-01 | KTX high-speed rail service reaches Ulsan on the Gyeongbu line | Geography | Ulsan | | 2010-11-23 | North Korea shells Yeonpyeong Island | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 2011 | Samsung Biologics is founded in Incheon’s Songdo, seeding Korea’s biomanufacturing hub | Economy | Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry | | 2011 | The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) is founded to fund curiosity-driven research | Economy | Technology and Innovation Policy | | 2011 | Naver’s Japanese arm launches the LINE messaging app, which becomes dominant across East and Southeast Asia | Economy | Naver | | 2011 | Taekkyeon, the indigenous Korean kicking art, is inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list | Culture & Society | Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts | | 2011 | A major K League match-fixing scandal leads to lifetime bans for dozens of players and officials | Culture & Society | Korean Football and Professional Leagues | | 2011-07 | SK Telecom and LG U+ launch commercial 4G LTE service | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 2011-07-06 | Pyeongchang is chosen to host the 2018 Winter Olympics on its third consecutive bid | Geography | Gangwon Province | | 2011-08-27 | Daegu hosts the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, the first held in Korea | Culture & Society | Daegu | | 2011-11 | The Shutdown Law (“Cinderella Law”) takes effect, barring under-16 online gaming overnight | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2011-12 | Nexon lists on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in one of Japan’s largest IPOs | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2011-12 | JTBC and other comprehensive programming cable channels launch under the 2009 media law | Culture & Society | Korean Broadcast Television Industry | | 2012 | The Global Green Growth Institute is established with its headquarters in Seoul | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2012 | Sejong City is formally inaugurated as a multi-ministry administrative city | Economy | Construction Industry and Real Estate Development | | 2012 | The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) esports league is established | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2012 | Honam Petrochemical is renamed Lotte Chemical | Economy | Petrochemicals and Heavy Chemical Industry | | 2012 | Eurasian otters return to Ulsan’s restored Taehwa River, a symbol of its ecological recovery | Geography | Ulsan | | 2012 | Pangyo Techno Valley opens in Seongnam as South Korea’s densest technology cluster | Geography | Gyeonggi Province | | 2012 | SK Group acquires Hynix Semiconductor, forming SK Hynix | Economy | Semiconductors | | 2012 | PSY’s “Gangnam Style” becomes a global viral phenomenon | Culture & Society | Hallyu | | 2012 | The Four Major Rivers Project is completed under President Lee Myung-bak | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2012 | The National Assembly is enlarged to 300 seats and overseas absentee voting is first used | Government & Politics | Electoral System and the National Assembly | | 2012-03-15 | The Korea–U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) enters into force | Government & Politics | South Korea–United States Relations and Alliance | | 2012-05 | The Gyeongin Ara Waterway opens, linking the Han River to the Yellow Sea at Incheon | Geography | Incheon | | 2012-05 | Yeosu hosts the World Expo on the theme “The Living Ocean and Coast” | Geography | South Jeolla Province | | 2012-12-19 | Park Geun-hye is elected president, the first woman and first popular-vote majority since 1987 | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2012-12-31 | South Korea completes its transition from analog to digital terrestrial broadcasting | Culture & Society | Korean Broadcast Television Industry | | 2013 | Lezhin Comics launches a paid-only webtoon platform for mature content | Culture & Society | Webtoons and Digital Comics | | 2013 | Yi Sun-sin’s War Diary (Nanjung Ilgi) is inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World register | People | Yi Sun-sin | | 2013 | Samsung commercializes the world’s first 3D V-NAND flash memory | Economy | Semiconductors | | 2013 | LG Electronics ships one of the world’s first commercially available 55-inch OLED televisions | Economy | LG Group and LG Electronics | | 2013-02-25 | Park Geun-hye is inaugurated as the 18th president | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2013-06-13 | BTS debuts, becoming the decade’s most globally successful K-pop act | Culture & Society | Hallyu | | 2013-09 | Celltrion’s CT-P13 (Remsima) wins EU approval as the world’s first monoclonal-antibody biosimilar | Economy | Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry | | 2013-12 | UNESCO inscribes Kimjang, the communal kimchi-making tradition, as Intangible Cultural Heritage | Culture & Society | Korean Cuisine | | 2014 | Kakao merges with the Daum web portal, forming Daum Kakao (renamed Kakao in 2015) | Economy | Kakao | | 2014 | South Korea hosts the CBD COP12 in Pyeongchang, adopting the Pyeongchang Road Map on biodiversity | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2014 | Namhansanseong mountain fortress is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site | Geography | Gyeonggi Province | | 2014 | Pope Francis beatifies 124 Korean Catholic martyrs during his visit to Seoul | Culture & Society | Religion and Buddhism in Korea | | 2014-03-21 | Zaha Hadid’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza opens in Seoul | Culture & Society | Architecture and Urban Design | | 2014-04-16 | The MV Sewol ferry sinks, killing 304 and devastating Park Geun-hye’s presidency | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2014-04-16 | The overloaded ferry MV Sewol capsizes off Jindo, killing 304 people, most of them Danwon High School students | History | Sewol Ferry Disaster (2014) | | 2014-05 | Lee Jae-yong becomes Samsung’s de facto leader after his father Lee Kun-hee’s heart attack | People | Lee Jae-yong | | 2014-09-19 | Incheon hosts the 17th Asian Games | Geography | Incheon | | 2014-11 | The Sewol Special Law is enacted and captain Lee Joon-seok is sentenced (later raised to life imprisonment on appeal) | History | Sewol Ferry Disaster (2014) | | 2015 | The Baekje Historic Areas are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site | History | Baekje Kingdom | | 2015 | Hyundai spins off Genesis as a standalone luxury brand | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 2015 | The Gyeongju low- and intermediate-level nuclear-waste repository opens | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 2015 | A Galerie Perrotin retrospective brings the Dansaekhwa monochrome movement to global attention | Culture & Society | Korean Traditional Visual Arts | | 2015-01 | South Korea launches the K-ETS, East Asia’s first nationwide carbon cap-and-trade market | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2015-04-02 | The Honam KTX high-speed line opens, cutting Seoul–Gwangju travel to about 1 hour 33 minutes | Geography | Gwangju | | 2015-04-02 | The Honam KTX line opens, extending high-speed rail to the southwestern Honam region | Geography | Public Transportation and Urban Mobility | | 2015-11 | The Asia Culture Center opens in Gwangju on the site of the former South Jeolla Provincial Hall | Culture & Society | Gwangju | | 2015-11-22 | Kim Young-sam dies in Seoul at the age of 87 | People | Kim Young-sam | | 2015-12-28 | Seoul and Tokyo announce a “final and irreversible” comfort-women agreement, rejected by most survivors | Culture & Society | Women’s Movements and Gender Equality | | 2016-01 | Netflix launches in South Korea, reshaping K-drama production and global distribution | Culture & Society | Korean Drama Industry | | 2016-02 | South Korea closes the Kaesong Industrial Complex after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 2016-02 | The Jeju Naval Base at Gangjeong village is completed | Geography | Jeju Island | | 2016-05 | Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” wins the International Booker Prize, a first for a Korean writer | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 2016-05 | Han Kang and translator Deborah Smith share the Man Booker International Prize for The Vegetarian | People | Han Kang | | 2016-07 | South Korea agrees to host a U.S. THAAD missile-defense battery at Seongju, drawing Chinese retaliation | Government & Politics | Military and Defense Policy | | 2016-08-08 | BLACKPINK debuts under YG Entertainment | Culture & Society | K-pop Industry | | 2016-09-12 | A magnitude-5.8 earthquake near Gyeongju is the strongest recorded in modern South Korea | Geography | Gyeongju | | 2016-10 | JTBC broadcasts a leaked tablet computer, exposing Choi Soon-sil’s influence over President Park Geun-hye | History | Candlelight Revolution (2016–2017) | | 2016-10-29 | The first mass candlelight vigil gathers at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul | History | Candlelight Revolution (2016–2017) | | 2016-11 | UNESCO inscribes Jeju’s haenyeo diving culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage | Culture & Society | Jeju Island | | 2016-11-12 | Candlelight protests over the Choi Soon-sil scandal draw over a million to central Seoul | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2016-12-03 | The largest single-day candlelight rally draws an estimated 2.3 million people nationwide | History | Candlelight Revolution (2016–2017) | | 2016-12-09 | The National Assembly votes 234–56 to impeach President Park Geun-hye | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2016-12-09 | Amid the candlelight movement, the National Assembly votes 234–56 to impeach President Park Geun-hye | History | Candlelight Revolution (2016–2017) | | 2016-12-09 | SRT high-speed rail service launches from Suseo Station, giving KTX its first competitor | Geography | Public Transportation and Urban Mobility | | 2017 | Samsung Heavy Industries delivers Shell’s Prelude FLNG, the largest floating structure ever built | Economy | Shipbuilding Industry | | 2017 | KakaoBank and K-bank launch as Korea’s first internet-only banks | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 2017 | China’s post-THAAD boycott cuts Korean cosmetics exports to China sharply, pushing K-beauty brands to diversify markets | Economy | K-beauty and Cosmetics Industry | | 2017 | The World Taekwondo Federation shortens its name to World Taekwondo, dropping the WTF acronym | Culture & Society | Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts | | 2017-02-17 | Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong is arrested in the Park Geun-hye bribery scandal | People | Lee Jae-yong | | 2017-03 | Krafton’s PUBG enters Steam Early Access, igniting the global battle-royale boom | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2017-03 | China halts new game-license approvals for Korean titles amid the THAAD dispute | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2017-03 | China’s post-THAAD travel restrictions sharply cut Chinese tourist arrivals to South Korea | Economy | Tourism Industry in South Korea | | 2017-03 | The Sewol wreck is raised from the seabed, nearly three years after the sinking, and towed to Mokpo | History | Sewol Ferry Disaster (2014) | | 2017-03-10 | Constitutional Court removes President Park Geun-hye from office | Government & Politics | Government Structure | | 2017-03-10 | The Constitutional Court unanimously (8–0) upholds the impeachment and removes President Park Geun-hye, ending the Candlelight Revolution | History | Candlelight Revolution (2016–2017) | | 2017-03-31 | Park Geun-hye is arrested on bribery and abuse-of-power charges | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2017-04-03 | Lotte World Tower opens in Seoul as South Korea’s tallest building | Culture & Society | Architecture and Urban Design | | 2017-05-09 | Moon Jae-in is elected president after Park Geun-hye’s impeachment | People | Moon Jae-in | | 2017-06 | Moon Jae-in announces a nuclear phase-out policy, halting new reactor approvals | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 2017-09-03 | North Korea conducts its sixth and largest nuclear test | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 2017-12-22 | The Gyeonggang Line high-speed rail opens, cutting Seoul–Gangneung travel to about two hours | Geography | Gangwon Province | | 2018 | Yuhan licenses its lung-cancer drug lazertinib to Janssen in a deal worth up to $1.25 billion | Economy | Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry | | 2018 | The Overwatch League launches with Korean players dominating its first seasons | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2018 | Smilegate’s Lost Ark launches in South Korea | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2018 | The 52-hour maximum workweek is enacted, phased in from the largest firms | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 2018 | Ssireum (Korean wrestling) becomes the first heritage element jointly inscribed by both Koreas on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list | Culture & Society | Taekwondo and Korean Martial Arts | | 2018 | L’Oréal acquires the Korean fashion-and-beauty brand StyleNanda | Culture & Society | Korean Fashion and Clothing Industry | | 2018 | The relocation of U.S. forces to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek is substantially completed, creating the largest U.S. overseas base | Government & Politics | South Korea–United States Relations and Alliance | | 2018-01 | PUBG peaks at 3.2 million concurrent Steam players, a long-standing record | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2018-01 | China’s National Sword import ban triggers a plastic-recycling crisis in South Korea | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2018-01 | Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun’s televised testimony ignites South Korea’s #MeToo movement | Culture & Society | Women’s Movements and Gender Equality | | 2018-02-09 | PyeongChang Winter Olympics open; the two Koreas march under a unified flag | Culture & Society | Sports and the Olympic Games | | 2018-03-22 | Former president Lee Myung-bak arrested on bribery and embezzlement charges | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2018-04 | Park Geun-hye is convicted and sentenced to 24 years in prison (later finalized at 20) | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2018-04-27 | Panmunjom Declaration between the two Koreas | History | Korean War | | 2018-09 | Under the inter-Korean military agreement, the two Koreas demine and disarm the Joint Security Area | Geography | The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) | | 2018-05 | BTS’s Love Yourself: Tear becomes the first Korean-language album to top the Billboard 200 | People | Bang Si-hyuk | | 2018-05 | The Hyehwa Station rallies against spycam (molka) crimes draw tens of thousands of women over successive weekends | Culture & Society | Women’s Movements and Gender Equality | | 2018-06 | The three carriers pay about 3.6 trillion won at auction for 5G spectrum | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 2018-07-01 | Lee Jae-myung takes office as governor of Gyeonggi Province | People | Lee Jae-myung | | 2018-06-12 | First U.S.–North Korea summit held in Singapore | Government & Politics | North Korea Relations | | 2018-09-18 | Pyongyang inter-Korean summit; Moon addresses 150,000 at May Day Stadium | Government & Politics | Moon Jae-in | | 2018-10-30 | South Korean Supreme Court orders Japanese firms to compensate wartime forced-labor victims | History | Japanese Colonial Period | | 2018-12-01 | South Korea activates its first limited (B2B) 5G service, claiming a world first | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 2019 | International visitor arrivals peak at about 17.5 million, a pre-pandemic record | Economy | Tourism Industry in South Korea | | 2019 | Jeon Joo-yeon becomes the first Korean to win the World Barista Championship | Culture & Society | Coffee Culture in South Korea | | 2019 | wavve launches as the terrestrial broadcasters’ streaming joint venture with SK Telecom | Culture & Society | Korean Broadcast Television Industry | | 2019-07 | Nine Korean seowon (Neo-Confucian academies) are inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site | Culture & Society | Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism in Korea | | 2019-07 | Japan restricts exports of three chipmaking materials to South Korea, opening a trade dispute rooted in the forced-labor rulings | Government & Politics | Korean-Japanese Relations | | 2019-04-03 | South Korea launches the world’s first commercial 5G network | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 2019-04-11 | The Constitutional Court rules the ban on abortion unconstitutional | Government & Politics | Moon Jae-in | | 2019-05 | Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” wins the Palme d’Or at Cannes | Culture & Society | Film and Cinema Industry | | 2019-07 | Moon Jae-in appoints Yoon Suk-yeol prosecutor-general | People | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2019-12 | The voting age is lowered from 19 to 18, effective for the 2020 election | Government & Politics | Electoral System and the National Assembly | | 2020 | DSME delivers the 24,000-TEU HMM Algeciras, then the world’s largest container ship | Economy | Shipbuilding Industry | | 2020 | Samsung Electronics workers form the company’s first labor union, ending its no-union tradition | Economy | Labor and Employment Policy | | 2020 | COVID-19 collapses international tourist arrivals to roughly 2.5 million | Economy | Tourism Industry in South Korea | | 2020-02-09 | “Parasite” wins the Academy Award for Best Picture | Culture & Society | Hallyu | | 2020-02-18 | A COVID-19 cluster at Daegu’s Shincheonji Church triggers Korea’s “K-quarantine” response | People | Moon Jae-in | | 2020-04 | Whipped “dalgona coffee” goes viral worldwide during the pandemic | Culture & Society | Coffee Culture in South Korea | | 2020-04-15 | A semi-linked proportional system debuts, prompting both major parties to field satellite lists | Government & Politics | Electoral System and the National Assembly | | 2020-08 | BTS’s “Dynamite” tops the Billboard Hot 100, a first for a K-pop song | Culture & Society | K-pop Industry | | 2020-10 | Moon Jae-in announces a 2050 carbon-neutrality goal, among Asia’s first | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2020-10-15 | Big Hit Entertainment (HYBE) lists on the Korea Exchange | Culture & Society | K-pop Industry | | 2020-10-25 | Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee dies, triggering South Korea’s largest-ever inheritance case | People | Lee Kun-hee | | 2021 | Naver acquires the web-fiction platform Wattpad as Kakao’s Piccoma tops Japan’s app-revenue charts | Culture & Society | Webtoons and Digital Comics | | 2021 | “Squid Game” becomes a global Netflix phenomenon | Culture & Society | Hallyu | | 2021 | Naver unveils HyperCLOVA, one of the largest non-English AI language models | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 2021 | Samsung commits about $17 billion to a new advanced-chip foundry in Taylor, Texas, under Lee Jae-yong | People | Lee Jae-yong | | 2021-02 | Yoon Suk-yeol resigns as prosecutor-general amid clashes with the Moon government | People | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2021-03 | Coupang lists on the New York Stock Exchange in the largest U.S. IPO by a Korean company | Economy | Korean Tech Startups and Venture Capital Ecosystem | | 2021-03 | Big Hit Entertainment rebrands as HYBE | People | Bang Si-hyuk | | 2021-04 | HYBE acquires Ithaca Holdings, establishing HYBE America | People | Bang Si-hyuk | | 2021-04 | The Barakah plant’s Unit 1 in the UAE begins commercial operation, a first for a Korean-built reactor abroad | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 2021-05 | The government announces the K-Semiconductor Strategy | Economy | Technology and Innovation Policy | | 2021-07 | An San wins three archery golds at the Tokyo Olympics, an Olympic first | Culture & Society | Sports and the Olympic Games | | 2021-07-31 | LG Electronics shuts down its mobile-phone business after 26 years | Economy | LG Group and LG Electronics | | 2021-08 | Krafton raises about 4.3 trillion won in the year’s largest Korean IPO | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2021-08 | The Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Act enshrines the 2050 net-zero target in law | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2021-08-06 | KakaoBank’s stock-market debut is the year’s largest South Korean IPO, briefly valuing it above major legacy banks | Economy | Kakao | | 2021-10 | South Korea submits an enhanced NDC pledging a 40% emissions cut from 2018 levels by 2030 | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2021-10-25 | A nationwide KT network outage disrupts internet service across the country | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 2021-11 | The Shutdown Law is repealed, replaced by a voluntary parental time-choice system | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2021-11 | SK Telecom spins off SK Square as a separate investment holding company | Economy | Telecommunications Industry | | 2021-12-24 | President Moon Jae-in pardons Park Geun-hye, who is released after nearly five years | People | Park Geun-hye | | 2022 | S-Oil announces the ₩9.25 trillion Shaheen crude-to-chemicals project at Ulsan | Economy | Petrochemicals and Heavy Chemical Industry | | 2022 | The European Commission blocks Hyundai Heavy Industries’ acquisition of DSME | Economy | Shipbuilding Industry | | 2022 | The Terra/Luna cryptocurrency collapse wipes out roughly $40 billion and spurs Korean regulation | Economy | Banking and Finance Sector | | 2022 | A project-finance (PF) crunch grips construction as rate hikes stall real-estate projects | Economy | Construction Industry and Real Estate Development | | 2022 | Son Heung-min shares the Premier League Golden Boot, the first Asian player to win the scoring title | Culture & Society | Korean Football and Professional Leagues | | 2022-01 | LG Energy Solution’s record $10.8 billion IPO becomes Korea’s largest | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 2022-01-27 | The Serious Accidents Punishment Act takes effect, imposing criminal liability on executives for workplace deaths | Economy | Construction Industry and Real Estate Development | | 2022-02 | Lost Ark launches in the West via Amazon Games, peaking at 1.3 million concurrent Steam players | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2022-03-09 | Yoon Suk-yeol wins the presidency by 0.73 points, the closest race since 1987 | People | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2022-03-09 | Lee Jae-myung narrowly loses the presidential election to Yoon Suk-yeol by 0.73 points | People | Lee Jae-myung | | 2022-05 | Presidential office relocated from the Blue House to Yongsan | Geography | Seoul | | 2022-05 | Park Chan-wook wins Best Director at Cannes for “Decision to Leave” | Culture & Society | Film and Cinema Industry | | 2022-05-10 | Moon Jae-in completes his single five-year term; Yoon Suk-yeol succeeds him | People | Moon Jae-in | | 2022-06 | The homegrown KSLV-2 (Nuri) rocket reaches orbit on its first success | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 2022-06 | Yoon Suk-yeol’s Energy Transition Initiative reverses the nuclear phase-out | Economy | Energy and Resources Policy | | 2022-06 | SK Bioscience’s SKYCovione, South Korea’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, wins domestic approval | Economy | Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry | | 2022-07 | The domestically developed KF-21 Boramae fighter completes its first flight | Government & Politics | Military and Defense Policy | | 2022-07 | Poland signs a landmark deal for K2 tanks, K9 howitzers, and FA-50 jets, South Korea’s largest defense export | Government & Politics | Military and Defense Policy | | 2022-08-01 | NewJeans debuts under HYBE’s ADOR label | Culture & Society | K-pop Industry | | 2022-08-15 | President Yoon Suk-yeol pardons Lee Jae-yong on Liberation Day, restoring his eligibility to lead Samsung | People | Lee Jae-yong | | 2022-10 | Lee Jae-yong is named chairman of Samsung Electronics | People | Lee Jae-yong | | 2022-10-15 | A datacenter fire in Pangyo takes Kakao’s services offline nationwide for hours, exposing digital-infrastructure risk | Economy | Kakao | | 2022-10-29 | The Itaewon Halloween crowd crush kills 159 people in Seoul | People | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2022-12-27 | President Yoon Suk-yeol pardons Lee Myung-bak, citing age and health | People | Lee Myung-bak | | 2023 | Ground-breaking begins on the S-Oil Shaheen petrochemical complex at Ulsan | Economy | Petrochemicals and Heavy Chemical Industry | | 2023 | International tourist arrivals rebound to about 11 million after COVID entry curbs are lifted | Economy | Tourism Industry in South Korea | | 2023 | Naver releases HyperCLOVA X, a multimodal Korean-first large language model | Economy | Naver | | 2023 | Amorepacific agrees to acquire a majority stake in the fast-growing skincare brand Cosrx | Economy | K-beauty and Cosmetics Industry | | 2023 | The Overseas Koreans Act consolidates diaspora policy under a new state agency | Geography | Korean Diaspora and Overseas Korean Communities | | 2023-01 | The 10th electricity plan raises nuclear to 32.4% of the mix by 2036, reversing the phase-out | Government & Politics | Environmental Policy and Sustainability | | 2023-03 | Yoon’s government announces a third-party fund for wartime forced-labor victims, unfreezing ties with Japan | Government & Politics | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2023-04 | The Washington Declaration establishes a U.S.–South Korea Nuclear Consultative Group | Government & Politics | Military and Defense Policy | | 2023-04 | BLACKPINK becomes the first Asian act to headline Coachella | Culture & Society | K-pop Industry | | 2023-05 | DSME is acquired by Hanwha Group and rebranded Hanwha Ocean | Economy | Shipbuilding Industry | | 2023-06-11 | Gangwon becomes a Special Autonomous Province with expanded administrative powers | Geography | Gangwon Province | | 2023-08-18 | The Camp David summit establishes a US–Japan–South Korea trilateral security framework | Government & Politics | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2023-11-28 | Busan loses the 2030 World Expo bid to Riyadh | Geography | Busan | | 2024-01 | Lee Jae-myung survives a knife attack during a visit to Busan | People | Lee Jae-myung | | 2024-01-18 | North Jeolla becomes Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, gaining expanded administrative autonomy | Geography | North Jeolla Province | | 2024-02-20 | Thousands of trainee doctors begin a mass walkout protesting the government’s medical-school-enrollment expansion | Economy | Healthcare System in South Korea | | 2024-03 | Mandatory loot-box probability disclosure takes legal effect for Korean games | Culture & Society | Gaming Industry | | 2024-03-30 | The first GTX-A express-rail segment (Suseo–Dongtan) opens beneath the Seoul metropolitan area | Geography | Public Transportation and Urban Mobility | | 2024-04 | The HYBE–Min Hee-jin dispute over ADOR and NewJeans erupts publicly | People | Bang Si-hyuk | | 2024-04-10 | The Democratic bloc wins a second straight supermajority in the 22nd National Assembly election as TK–Honam voting patterns hold | Government & Politics | Political Parties and Regionalism | | 2024-04-10 | Opposition parties win a National Assembly supermajority in the legislative elections | Government & Politics | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2024-06 | Webtoon Entertainment (Naver Webtoon) debuts in a U.S. IPO | Economy | Technology Sector and ICT Innovation | | 2024-07 | Kakao founder Kim Beom-su is arrested in the SM Entertainment share-price manipulation case | Economy | Kakao | | 2024-10 | Hyundai opens its dedicated EV Metaplant (HMGMA) in Georgia | Economy | Automotive Industry | | 2024-10 | Han Kang wins the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Korean and first East Asian woman to do so | Culture & Society | Korean Literature and Literary Culture | | 2024-10-10 | The Swedish Academy awards Han Kang the Nobel Prize in Literature | People | Han Kang | | 2024-12-03 | President Yoon Suk-yeol declares martial law, quickly overturned | History | December 2024 Martial Law Crisis | | 2024-12-04 | The National Assembly votes 190-0 to lift martial law; Yoon rescinds the decree | Government & Politics | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2024-12-14 | National Assembly impeaches President Yoon Suk-yeol | History | December 2024 Martial Law Crisis | | 2024-12-26 | The National Assembly passes the AI Basic Act, Korea’s first comprehensive AI law | Government & Politics | Technology and Innovation Policy | | 2025-01-15 | Yoon Suk-yeol is detained, the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested | Government & Politics | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2025-04-04 | Constitutional Court unanimously removes Yoon Suk-yeol from office | History | December 2024 Martial Law Crisis | | 2025-06-03 | Lee Jae-myung wins the snap presidential election following Yoon’s removal | Government & Politics | Yoon Suk-yeol | | 2025-06-03 | Democrat Lee Jae-myung wins the snap presidential election, with regional voting blocs again dominant | Government & Politics | Political Parties and Regionalism | | 2025-06-04 | Lee Jae-myung is inaugurated as South Korea’s twenty-first president | History | December 2024 Martial Law Crisis | | 2025-06-04 | Lee Jae-myung takes office as the 21st president of South Korea | People | Lee Jae-myung | | 2025-08 | Son Heung-min transfers from Tottenham Hotspur to Los Angeles FC of Major League Soccer | Culture & Society | Korean Football and Professional Leagues |