Seoul: King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) orders the development of a rain gauge, marking a significant advancement in agricultural and scientific practices. This initiative adds to the king's legacy, as he is best known in Korea for inventing the Korean alphabet, Hangeul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, in 1902, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a railway linking Seoul, now South Korea's capital, with Kaesong, which later became part of North Korea. This development was a crucial step in enhancing connectivity and infrastructure on the Korean Peninsula. In 1925, the Japanese colonial government promulgated a law aimed at suppressing and punishing Koreans fighting for their country's liberation. The Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910-45.
In 1956, the South Korean government designated May 8 as Mother's Day, which was later redesignated as Parents' Day in 1973. This change reflected a shift towards honoring both parents collectively. In 1993, South and North Korea engaged in trade, exchanging sugar and liquor, marking the first trade between the two sides since the 1950-53 Korean War.
In 2003, five North Koreans attempting to enter the Japanese consulate in the Chinese city of Shenyang in an alleged defection attempt were arrested by Chinese security forces. The following year, in 2004, the prosecution arrested Shin Il-soon, a four-star South Korean general who served as deputy chief of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, on charges of embezzlement and bribery.
In 2014, prosecutors arrested Kim Han-sik, chief executive of Chonghaejin Marine Co., which operated the Sewol ferry that sank and left more than 300 people dead or missing in April. In 2017, Chung Mong-gyu, head of the Korea Football Association (KFA), was elected to a FIFA Council membership with a two-year term, marking the first time since 2011 that a South Korean had taken a seat on FIFA's supervisory body.
In 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their second summit in the northern Chinese city of Dalian to restore ties ahead of a North Korea-United States summit held in Singapore. Meanwhile, in 2020, South Korea reported at least 19 COVID-19 cases tied to clubs and bars in Itaewon, Seoul's popular nightlife district, since the first case tied to the quarter was confirmed on May 6. More than 270 cases tied to Itaewon clubs were reported, becoming one of the largest COVID-19 cluster infections.
Finally, in 2022, Kim Ji-ha, a South Korean poet and democracy activist who was imprisoned for being critical of the authoritarian government in the 1970s, died at the age of 81.