Today in Korean history

1883 marked the inception of Korea's first modern newspaper, the Hanseong Sunbo. In 1959, South Korea initiated diplomatic relations with Brazil. Diplomatic ties with Australia were also established in the same year. In 1961, South Korea established relations with Australia. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson made a visit to South Korea in 1966.

In 1996, Samsung Electronics unveiled the world's first 1-gigabit DRAM chip. That same year, South Korea commenced restoration work on its largest existing stone pagoda at Mireuk Temple, a task not undertaken in 1,400 years. North Korea returned to the six-party nuclear talks in 2006, three weeks after conducting its first nuclear test.

The talks involving South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia resumed in November after a year-long break. In 2013, South Korea was re-elected to serve on the United Nations Economic and Social Council, which oversees the bulk of the organization's financial resources. South Korea received the Olympic flame for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games in 2017 during a handover ceremony in Athens.

North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2024, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff reporting it was fired from Pyongyang around 7:10 a.m. Lastly, South Korea hosted the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju in 2025, where global leaders discussed strategies to enhance resilience and spur growth amidst international trade uncertainties.