Today in Korean history

In 1980, Chun Doo-hwan, a former army general, became president of South Korea through an electoral college composed of hand-picked members. His ascent to power came after a coup d'etat on December 12 of the previous year, during which he arrested Gen. Chung Seung-hwa, the martial law commander.

Two decades later, in 1992, China established its embassy in Seoul, marking the formal recognition of diplomatic ties between the two nations. This came after South Korea opted to switch its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China, following their agreement on August 24.

In 2003, six-way talks involving the two Koreas and the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia commenced in Beijing. The primary objective of these discussions was to alleviate tensions surrounding North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

South Korean parliamentary speaker Kim One-ki expressed his concerns to the Chinese Communist Party leader in 2004 over a controversy surrounding the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D. 668). This dispute arose due to assertions that Goguryeo was a vassal state of China.

In 2013, South Korea proposed to North Korea that they hold working-level talks on October 2 to discuss the resumption of cross-border tours to Mount Kumgang. These tours had been suspended for nearly five years. The suggestion was made by Seoul's Ministry of Unification in response to Pyongyang's suggestion of holding talks in late August or early September.