A Visual Timeline of South Korea (1945 – present)
1945:
(Aug 6) US drops first atomic bomb ‘Little Boy’ on Hiroshima (by B-29 Superfortress)
(Aug 8) Soviet Union declares war on Japan; invades Manchuria and Korea
(Aug 9) US drops second atomic bomb ‘Fat Man’ on Nagasaki
(Aug 10-15) Korea divided at 38th parallel; US-controlled South, Soviet-controlled North
(Aug 14) Japanese unconditional surrender; WW2 end
(Sep 2) Victory over Japan day; Japan formally surrenders onboard USS Missouri
(Sep 6) Lyuh Woon-Hyung declares (united) People’s Republic of Korea
(Dec 12) US military government abolishes People’s Republic of Korea; sets up provisional government with Japanese collaborators
1946:
– (Feb) Meanwhile in North Korea, Soviet Union works with Korean socialist leaders; after Cho Man Sik is outsted, committes rally towards communist Kim Il Sung.
1948:
(Aug 15) Republic of Korea established, ending 3 years of US military government
(Sep 9) Demoratic People’s Republic of Korea est with Kim Il Sung as Premier
1949:
– (Oct) Mao unifies China and establishes PRC
– Last president of Provisional Govt of Republic of Korea, and independence leader, Kim Gu (aka Beakbeom) assassinated by Korean lieutenant
1950:
(Jun 25) Korean War (1950-1953) commences with invasion from Soviet-supported North
(Sep 15-19) MacArthur-led US troops land in Incheon, cuts North Korean supply line, turns tide of war
(Nov) China enters the war and drive Allies back to 38th parallel. Fighting continues with more casualties and no major territorial gain on either side for next 2.5 years.
1953:
(Jul 27) Armistice ends Korean War (1950-1953)
early 1950s: Korea comes out of war as one of the poorest nations in the world
1960:
(Apr) April 19 Revolution: President Lee Seungman steps down after student protests
1961:
(May 16) General Park Chung Hee coup
1960s: Major industrial reforms under president Park sets up South Korea for rapid economic growth
1968: POSCO (Pohang Iron and Steel Company) est in Korea; production starts in 1973, would go on to become largest steel producer in world in 2010
1972:
South Korea declares martial law
mid 1970s: Korea earns FX by partaking in construction projects in and soldiers to Vietnam
1979:
(Oct 26) President Park Jung Hee assassinated by by KCIA director Kim Jae Kyu
(Dec 12) General Chun Doo Hwan becomes de facto leader (official term Aug80-Feb88)
1980:
(May) Gwangju massacre
1986:
Constitution change allows direct presidential elections
1987:
(Jun 29) President Chun Doo Hwan gives into pressure and announces next presidential election
1988:
(Feb) Roh Tae Woo democratically elected president of South Korea, ending decades of dictatorship (although he is also an ex-general)
(Sep-Oct) Seoul hosts 1988 Summer Olympics
1992:
1st Hallyu wave (international export of Korean pop culture)
1993:
President Kim Young Sam (r. 1993-1997) leads first civilian govt in Korea since 1961
1994:
North Korea’s Kim Il Sung dies; longest dictatorship in history 49 years since 1945
1995:
Sampoong department store collapse
1996:
South Korea admitted into OECD
1997:
(Dec) Asian Financial Crisis hits South Korea. Koreans remember it as IMF Crisis, and protest the austerity measures imposed by the IMF for its bailout.
1998:
Newly elected president Kim Dae Jung (formerly kidnapped in Japan) advocates “sunshine policy” aid to North Korea
2000:
(Jun) North and South Korea summit in Pyongyang
(Aug) Border office Panmunjon reopens; relatives meet; president Kim Dae Jung receives Nobel Peace prize
2001:
Incheon international airport opens
2002:
(Jun) South Korea’s historic run to 2002 World Cup semifinals ignites national pride (but attracts plenty of controversy over rigged referees).
2004: High-speed rail KTX launches, cutting Seoul-Busan journey down to just 2 hours
mid 2000s: Samsung (representing ~20% Korea’s GDP) surpasses as world’s leading consumer electronics company
2007: Conservative Lee Myung Bak wins landslide presidential election
2009: Former president Roh Moo Hyun (r.2003-2008) commits suicide
2009 – 2018: North-South tensions worsen after naval skirmishes and missile tests
2012:
(Dec) First female president Park Geun-hye elected (daughter of former president Park Chung Hee)
Psy’s Gangnam Style becomes #1 most viewed on YouTube with 1b views
2014: Sewol ferry disaster highlights corporate corruption (~250 high school students die)
2017:
(Feb) North Korea assasinates Kim Jong Un brother in Malaysia
(Mar) President Park Geun-Hye impeached over corruption; later sentenced to 20 years for abuse of power
(May) Liberal candidate Moon Jae In elected president in landslide
2018:
Kpop boy band BTS hits #1 on US Billboard.
(Apr) Kim Jong-un becomes first North Korean leader to enter South Korea
(Jun) Trump and North Korean Kim Jong-un meet in Singapore
2019:
(Feb) US-North Korea talks break down over pace of nuclear disarmament
More reference:
See also:
South Korea (1945 – present): Miracle on Han River
Korea (1392 – 1945): Joseon to Japanese Occupation
Ancient Korea (to 1392): Three Kingdoms, Silla, Goryeo