Today in Korean history

1923 was a devastating year for Japan as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Kanto region, claiming over 100,000 lives. This disaster led to widespread panic and rumors that ethnic Koreans living in Japan had poisoned wells or plotted a riot, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Koreans at the hands of Japanese police.

In 1946, the Rodong Sinmun, which later became North Korea's official newspaper, came into publication. Six years later, in 1952, South Korea adopted compulsory military service to bolster its armed forces.

The practice of conducting an annual census in South Korea began in 1955, while the National Assembly building in Seoul's Yeouido was completed after six years of construction in 1975. Chun Doo-hwan took office as the President of South Korea in 1980.

The tragic event of 1983 saw a Soviet fighter jet shoot down a Korean Air passenger plane over Sakhalin Island, resulting in the loss of all 269 lives on board. In 2000, the second round of inter-Korean ministerial talks concluded with both sides releasing a joint statement.

Fast forward to 2012, when Apple Inc. added Samsung Electronics Co.'s latest flagship smartphone to its patent infringement list, escalating the ongoing infringement dispute. In 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on three shipping companies for allegedly participating in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum goods to North Korea.

BTS, a South Korean artist, etched their name in history in 2020 by becoming the first South Korean act to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their song "Dynamite." Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, made a historic visit to China in 2025, attending a military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender and the conclusion of World War II, marking his first trip to China in six years.