Today in Korean history

1946 saw the Independence Army of Korea return from China, having reclaimed Korea's sovereignty from Japanese colonial rule. The Korean Provisional Government led the force, which had previously fought Japanese troops in Manchuria and Shanghai.

South Korea made its Olympic debut in 1948, competing in London. This marked the first time the country participated in the quadrennial event.

In 1965, South Korea and Japan signed a treaty in Tokyo to normalize diplomatic relations, 20 years after Korea regained its sovereignty. As part of the agreement, Japan provided South Korea with US$800 million in economic cooperation funds, not as compensation.

South Korea hosted the World Cup in 2002 alongside Japan. The home team, South Korea, emerged victorious, defeating Spain in a penalty shootout and becoming the first Asian team to reach the semifinals of the tournament.

In 2004, Kim Sun-il, a South Korean employee working in Iraq for a U.S. Army food supplier, was found dead. A militant group had threatened to behead him unless Seoul withdrew its additional troops within 24 hours. At the time, 660 noncombatants were already stationed in Iraq.

The South Korean Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that transsexuals could legally change their gender.

In 2014, an Army deserter committed one of the deadliest shooting rampages in South Korea, killing five soldiers and wounding seven others at a general outpost near the border with North Korea.

South Korea confirmed its first case of monkeypox infection in 2022. The case involved a foreigner who arrived at Incheon International Airport from Germany.