Seoul: South Korea's National Assembly, dominated by President Park Chung-hee's ruling party, has removed Kim Young-sam, leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, from his parliamentary seat due to his anti-government activities. This action has sparked widespread pro-democracy protests across the nation. A few weeks following this controversial decision, President Park was assassinated by his intelligence chief, Kim Jae-kyu.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the events of 1999 saw significant safety concerns as twenty-two workers were exposed to a radioactive leak at the Wolsong No. 3 nuclear power plant. This incident led to a thorough safety inspection of all nuclear facilities in South Korea to prevent future occurrences.
In 2005, a tragic incident occurred in Sangju, approximately 160 kilometers southeast of Seoul, when eleven people were crushed to death and seventy others sustained injuries during a concert at a public stadium. The stampede resulted in a massive outcry for better crowd management at public events.
The following year, North Korea announced its intention to conduct a nuclear test, citing the United States' hostile policies as the reason. Despite receiving severe criticism from the international community, North Korea proceeded with its first known nuclear test six days later, on October 9, 2006.
In a significant diplomatic development in 2007, South Korean President Roh Moon-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il held summit talks in Pyongyang. This marked the first inter-Korean summit in seven years, following a previous meeting between then-President Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il in June 2000.
The year 2015 witnessed a violent crime in Busan, where a man stabbed the owner of an indoor shooting range and escaped with a .45-caliber handgun and eighteen bullets. The 29-year-old suspect was apprehended after a few hours, and police successfully recovered the firearm and ammunition.
In 2017, Kim Un-yong, former vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), passed away at the age of 86. Kim was pivotal in securing Seoul's bid to host the 1988 Summer Olympics. He also served as the founding president of the World Taekwondo Federation, currently known as World Taekwondo, and led the South Korean national Olympic committee.
The year 2019 was marked by natural disaster as Typhoon Mitag, the 18th typhoon of the season, struck the southern and eastern regions of South Korea. The typhoon claimed the lives of ten people, with four others reported missing.