Seoul: In 1928, Japanese colonial authorities enforced a suspension on the publication of the Chosun Ilbo newspaper after it published an editorial criticizing Japan's military advancement into the Chinese province of Shandong. This suspension marked the fourth instance of a Korean newspaper being halted by Japanese authorities and lasted for a duration of 133 days.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Japanese government took further steps in 1942 by adopting a resolution that granted its colonial government in Korea the power to draft Koreans into service for Japan's war efforts. In 1973, representatives from the South and North Korean Red Cross convened in Seoul for their fourth meeting, aiming to assist in the reunification of families separated between the two regions.
In 1990, the ruling Democratic Liberal Party elected President Roh Tae-woo as its chairman, which ignited widespread anti-government street protests across Seoul. By 2005, two descendants of the Japanese assassins responsible for the 1895 murder of Korea's last queen, Empress Myeongseong, visited Seoul to apologize for their ancestors' actions.
In 2006, South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok visited the joint Korean industrial complex in Kaesong, announcing Seoul's commitment to continue its project with Pyongyang despite ongoing challenges. The subsequent year, South Korea and the European Union agreed to eliminate over 95 percent of tariffs on goods, marking a significant milestone in their first round of free trade talks.
In 2008, South Koreans staged nationwide candlelight vigils in their largest protest against the upcoming U.S. beef imports, fueled by fears of mad cow disease. By 2011, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak expressed willingness to invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to Seoul for an international nuclear summit in 2012, contingent on Pyongyang's commitment to abandon its atomic programs.
In 2014, the Mokpo branch of Gwangju District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Han-sik, head of the operator of the Sewol ferry that sank earlier in April. The court cited risks of fleeing or evidence destruction, with charges including manslaughter and violating vessel safety regulations.
In 2016, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was elected chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during a rare party congress, consolidating his leadership with a new title. The following year, exit polls indicated Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party won South Korea's presidential election.
In 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Tokyo for the first time since taking office, participating in a trilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, where the leaders pledged joint efforts to peacefully resolve North Korea's nuclear issues. In 2019, North Korea test-fired two short-range missiles into the East Sea, coinciding with a visit by the U.S. top nuclear envoy, Stephen Biegun, amid stalled denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang.