Seoul:Ryu Gwan-sun, a notable figure in Korea's fight for independence, died in 1920 in Seodaemun Prison, Seoul. She had been imprisoned and tortured for her role in organizing the March 1 Manse Movement in 1919, which sought to end Japan's colonial rule over Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, in 1950, South Korean and U.N. forces held a ceremony to officially declare the recapture of Seoul, marking a significant event during the Korean War, which had begun earlier that year with North Korea's invasion of the South. The war concluded with a cease-fire in 1953.

In 1992, South Korean President Roh Tae-woo met with Chinese President Yang Shangkun, marking the first-ever summit between South Korea and China.

Further significant events include the National Assembly's 1999 approval of a bill to send combat troops to East Timor amidst its violent unrest.

In 2016, South Korea implemented the Kim Young-ran Law, an anti-graft measure aimed at enforcing stricter ethical standards in certain sectors by limiting the value of gifts that could be received. The law was initially proposed in 2011 by Kim Young-ran, then head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.