On this day in Korea - May 28, 2022: Song Kang-ho wins in Cannes with "Broker"

Actor Song Kang-ho won best actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance in the drama “Broker,” becoming the first South Korean male actor to win an acting prize at the prestigious fest. Song played a man involved in an underground adoption network. The film, directed by Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, blended human drama, morality and family into its theme. Experts said Song stood out with his ability to balance warmth, guilt and humor. At the same festival, Park Chan-wook was al

2026-05-28 01:00:00:00

On this day in Korea - May 18, 1980: Gwangju democratic uprising

The Gwangju Democratization Movement began on May 18, 1980. Tens of thousands of students and other citizens staged demonstrations in Gwangju, protesting against then military junta leader Chun Doo-hwan, who took power in a military coup a year earlier. The uprising is one of the most significant pro-democracy movements in the South Korean history. Students initially protested against the expansion of martial law and Chun’s authoritarian rule. In the military crackdown that followed, around 200

2026-05-18 01:00:00:00

On this day in Korea - May 4, 2006: KT establishes Dokdo phone line

KT, South Korea's largest fixed-line and broadband service operator, established the first private telephone line on the Dokdo islets in the East Sea. The landline telephone was installed at the home of Kim Seong-do, who resided Dokdo's Seodo. The islets are extremely remote and difficult to wire. Before the line launch, communication there relied on radio or limited government channels. The installation made administrative control and support for the residents easier. KT also went on to its mob

2026-05-04 01:00:00:00

On this day in Korea - April 26, 2021: Youn Yuh-jung wins Oscar for ‘Minari’

Actor Youn Yuh-jung won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her performance in "Minari," becoming the first South Korean to win an acting Oscar. The veteran in the movie played an unconventional grandmother who travels to a farm in Arkansas to help her daughter’s immigrant family. The film received six Oscar nominations. Yoon also became a viral sensation for her witty acceptance speech. She "forgave" all who had mispronounced her name and asked Brad Pitt, who handed her the trophy

2026-04-26 01:00:00:00

On this day in Korea - April 16, 2014: Sewol ferry sinks

The 6,835-ton Sewol ferry sank in waters off the southwestern island of Jindo, leaving 304 people dead in one of the worst maritime disasters in South Korea. The tragedy remains with Koreans, not only for the loss of life, but for the systematic corruption and negligence that led to it. Investigators later revealed that the ferry had been redesigned to increase passenger capacity. After 3 years on the ocean floor, the ship was brought up and transported to the port of Mokpo, South Jeolla Provinc

2026-04-16 01:00:00:00

On this day in Korea - April 8, 2008: Yi So-yeon first Koreanto reach orbit

Yi So-yeon, a female astronaut and biosystems engineer, became the first South Korean to reach orbit. In the screening process, Yi beat out over 36,000 applicants to become one of the two finalists. Just one month before the rocket launch, she replaced the primary candidate Ko Son, who was disqualified for violating training regulations. On the launch, Yi marked a major milestone in Korea's space history, flying with two Russian cosmonauts as a payload specialist. The spacecraft they rode on, So

2026-04-08 01:00:00:00

On this day in Korea - March 26, 2010: Cheonan sinks off west coast

A 1,200-ton South Korean Navy vessel, the Cheonan, sank off the country’s west coast near the maritime border with North Korea on March 26, 2010, killing 46 of the 104 sailors on board. The remaining 58 crew members were rescued. The ship broke in two following a powerful explosion in its stern and sank rapidly, sending shockwaves through the military and public. A government probe later concluded that a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine caused the sinking, though Pyongyang denied resp

2026-03-26 01:00:00:00

On this day in Korea - March 15: AI triumphs in Go: AlphaGo defeat Lee Se-dol

Google’s artificial intelligence program AlphaGo defeated South Korean Go master Lee Se-dol 4-1 in a five-game match in Seoul in 2016, marking a historic milestone in AI development. Developed by Google DeepMind, AlphaGo used deep neural networks and reinforcement learning, improving through self-play rather than relying solely on brute-force calculation. Given Go’s complexity and its demand for human intuition, experts had predicted such a breakthrough was still years away. The result stunned b

2026-03-15 01:00:00:00