Today in Korean history

On this day in Korean history, the Joseon Governor General's office declared a new education law in 1920. The law mandated that primary schools teach Japanese history and geography instead of Korean, and extended the academic period to six years from four. In 1939, Japan's colonial regime ordered a change in all Korean names to Japanese ones.

In 1956, the Jinbo (Progress) Party, Korea's first progressive political party, was established by Cho Bong-am, a former underground communist activist. The party's moderate stance, which favored reconciliation with North Korea, clashed with President Rhee Syng-man's pro-American policies. Cho was executed in 1959 for allegedly violating anti-communist laws, but the circumstances surrounding his trial remain unclear.

In 2009, a naval confrontation occurred near the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea when North Korean ships fired upon a South Korean vessel. Despite the exchange of gunfire, no South Korean casualties were reported. In 2014, South Korea and China signed a free trade agreement, which went into effect in 2015. In 2018, both North and South Korea completed the removal of troops and weapons from their border guard posts, as part of an agreement to de-escalate tensions and build trust.