Seoul: Today marks significant historical events in Korea, reflecting Japan’s colonial strategies and Korea’s diplomatic movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. One pivotal event occurred in 1937 when the Japanese colonial regime forced 100,000 Koreans to relocate to Manchuria, northeastern China. This move aimed to facilitate Japan’s invasion of China and suppress Korea’s independence movement. The descendants of these Koreans now live as Chinese nationals in villages named after their Korean hometowns. Japan’s colonization of Korea spanned from 1910 to 1945.
According to Yonhap News Agency, another diplomatic shift occurred in 1965 when South Korea terminated relations with the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) after the African nation established ties with North Korea. This decision underscored the geopolitical tensions during the Cold War era.
The year 1997 saw recognition for victims and families affected by the May 1980 Gwangju Uprising against military leader Chun Doo-hwan, with survivors receiving the National Merit Award. In 1999, a dramatic event unfolded as members of the Manmin Jungang Church in northern Seoul stormed MBC’s headquarters to prevent the airing of a documentary critical of their leader, Lee Jae-rok, who controversially compared himself to Jesus.
In 2001, the Seoul District Court declared Dong-Ah Construction Co. bankrupt, marking a significant moment in South Korea’s economic landscape. Three years later, in 2004, Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun continued her late husband’s work by visiting North Korea to discuss economic projects, including the Mount Geumgang tourism initiative and the Kaesong industrial complex.
The strategic partnership between South Korea and Uzbekistan was strengthened in 2009 when Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Islam Karimov agreed to enhance bilateral relations. In 2010, Samsung Electronics Co. announced a substantial investment of 23.3 trillion won (approximately US$20.63 billion) in environmental and healthcare sectors by 2020 to drive future growth.
In 2013, a scandal involving a former presidential spokesman who denied allegations of sexual assault during President Park Geun-hye’s U.S. visit made headlines. Lastly, in 2017, President Moon Jae-in accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who had served as acting president following Park Geun-hye’s impeachment in a corruption scandal.