Crisis Chronology | South Korea

SOUTH KOREA

01/17/2024

Kim says that South Korea is the North’s “primary foe” and that he will no longer pursue reconciliation with the South.

01/02/2024

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed in the neck during a visit to the city of Busan.

11/26/2023

China, Japan, and South Korea agree to resume annual trilateral meetings.

09/26/2023

South Korea hosts representatives from Japan and China in an effort to reassure China that US ties do not threaten China.

09/21/2023

Parliament, controlled by the opposition, passes motion that prime minister Han Duck-Soo should be removed for incompetence. The motion is not binding on President Yoon and he is expected to reject it.

05/21/2023

Germany and South Korea sign defense cooperation agreement as buffer against North Korea.

05/07/2023

Japan Prime Minister Kishida meets with South Korean President Yoon as the two countries continue their rapprochement in the face of Chinese aggressive actions. It is the first visit by a Japanese leader in twelve years.

04/26/2023

US and South Korea sign agreement that will allow US nuclear submarines to dock in South Korea. South Korea agrees not to develop its own nuclear weapons.

03/15/2023

Japan and South Korea hold their first summit meeting in twelve years, discussing the situation with China and North Korea. There is longstanding enmity between the two countries due to Japan colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

03/06/2023

South Korean government announces a plan to compensate Koreans who were forced to labor in Japan during Japan’s colonial rule during World War II. Victims of the forced labor protest and the opposition calls the plan humiliating. It is seen as a gesture of conciliation toward Japan, which has asserted that all compensation was made following a 1965 treaty. The enmity between the two countries has complicated US and western efforts to present a unified front against Chinese expansionism. Japan approves of the plan.

01/26/2023

China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula experience heavy snowfall and the coldest temperatures in a decade.

12/26/2022

After North Korean drones enter South Korean airspace, South Korea sends jets to intercept them.

11/02/2022

North Korea fires 23 short-range missiles, one of which falls off the coast of South Korea.

10/24/2022

North and South Korea exchange warning shots after a North Korean merchant ship strays over what South Korea considers the sea boundary between the two countries. The boundary has long been a source of contention.

10/06/2022

North Korea fires another missile toward South Korea after US sends an aircraft carrier into the area. North Korea has now launched seven missiles in the last ten days. In a training exercise, South Korean and US jets drop bombs on uninhabited island in the Yellow Sea.

08/04/2022

Yoon is unable to meet with US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi because he is on vacation, though he is remaining in Seoul. Critics charge that he is afraid of offending China, which has denounced the American’s trip to Taiwan. Yoon’s approval ratings have already dropped significantly.

07/21/2022

Government begins investigation into government conduct of former president Moon Jae-in in regard to incidents involving defections to and from North Korea in 2019 and 2020.

03/11/2022

Wildfire becomes the largest in South Korean history.

03/09/2022

Yoon Suk-yeal elected president

Polls close in presidential election. Exit polls show a dead heat between the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party and liberal Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. Yoon wins with a margin of less than 1%. An anti-graft prosecutor, Yoon ran on rooting out corruption, a more confrontational stance toward the North, and a stronger alliance with the US.

02/15/2022

Campaign begins for president. The race is between the Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung and the conservative People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol and the main issues are soaring housing prices and inequality. Lee became prominent for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as a provincial governor. Yoon is less experienced politically but known for prosecuting corruption scandals against former presidents Park and Moon. A third candidate, conservative businessman and doctor Ahn Cheol-soo has offered to join forces with Yoon, which could be a decisive coalition.

12/31/2021

Park Geun-hye is released from prison, having been pardoned.

10/04/2021

North and South Korea restore hotline.

09/30/2021

North Korea asks that hotline with the South be reactivated.

09/15/2021

After North Korean missile test, South Korea also tests submarine-based ballistic missile.

08/10/2021

China and North Korea complain about US-South Korea military exercises.

03/22/2021

North Korea conducts short-range missile tests in protest over joint US-South Korea military exercises.

11/15/2020

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations sign the world's largest free-trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Vietnam. It replaces the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which the US withdrew the United States in early 2017. The countries are: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

09/25/2020

Kim Jong Un apologizes to South Korea.

09/24/2020

South Korea accuses North Korean troops of killing South Korean government employee. The government says he may have been trying to defect to the North.

06/19/2020

Unification minister resigns. Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jung is the most prominent voice in the North Korean government is leading the attacks on South Korea. She is thought to be about 32 years old, four years older than Kim Jong-un and although her official positions are of little importance, she is gaining increasing power in the government.

06/17/2020

North Korea rejects South Korea’s offer of negotiation and says it will restart military exercises on the border with the South.

06/16/2020

North Korea bombs liaison office with South Korea located in Kaesong in the North.

06/10/2020

South Korea announces legal action against two groups accused of sending propaganda to North Korea.

06/09/2020

North Korea cuts all communication with South Korea to protest anti-government propaganda sent by balloon into North Korean territory.

05/27/2020

Forty new COVID-19 cases are confirmed.

05/27/2020

Forty new COVID-19 cases are confirmed.

05/06/2020

South Korea now suggests that Kim did not have surgery but reduced his public appearances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

04/27/2020

South Korea reports that Kim is alive and well.

04/16/2020

Moon wins re-election in a landslide

Democratic Party and its partners win 180 of 300 seats in parliament. Turnout is very high despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

04/15/2020

Presidential and parliamentary election. Though Moon’s popularity had dropped after criticism from business and of his policies toward North Korea, the successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic has given him new strength. The opposition Liberty Korea Party, led by Hwang Kyo-ahn, has seen its poll numbers have drop. Voters will have to wear face masks and gloves and have their temperature taken to vote. Also, a record number of parties are running candidates, but have been unable to hold rallies in person, so there may be confusion about the candidates.

02/22/2020

South Korea reports spread of COVID-19.

02/21/2020

Government reports hundreds of cases of COVID-19, sparking fears of a larger epidemic. New cases in China continue to decrease.

11/22/2019

After pressure from the US, South Korea agrees to continue an intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. The US feared ending the pact would hamper the ability to respond to North Korea threat.

11/22/2019

South Korea halts its complaint against Japan in the World Trade Organization.

11/20/2019

Houthis release Saudi and South Korean ships captured recently.

11/17/2019

US and South Korea agree to delay military exercises in support of the peace process.

11/14/2019

US demands that South Korea dramatically increase its share of the cost of us troops there.

10/24/2019

After a meeting between Japan PM Shinzo Abe and South Korea PM Lee Nak-yeon, the two countries agree on the need to work together on North Korea.

10/11/2019

Japan and South Korea begin discussions on trade disagreement.

09/11/2019

South Korea says it will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization against Japan over its export controls.

09/10/2019

Japan reported to be considering a plan to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant in the ocean. The plant will run out of storage space for the water in 2022. Both North Korea and South Korea are angered, fearing that their seafood industries will be hurt. Japanese scientists say the risk is minimal.

08/21/2019

South Korea ends intelligence sharing agreement with Japan.

08/06/2019

North Korea fires two missiles into the sea.

08/01/2019

Japan removes South Korea from trusted trade partner list.

08/01/2019

North Korea conducts two new tests of short-range missiles.

07/24/2019

Russia apologizes to South Korea for the incident.

07/23/2019

South Korean jets fire numerous warning shots at Russian reconnaissance plane on patrol on new Russia-China exercises.

07/05/2019

South Korea dissolves a Japan-backed foundation initiated to resolve the dispute over women taken to Japanese brothels until the end of World War II.

07/01/2019

After South Korean court rules that Japanese companies must compensate Koreans for forced labor during the 1910-1945 colonization of the peninsula, Japan imposes export restrictions on materials South Korean companies need for semiconductors and computer displays.

03/22/2019

North Korea withdraws its staff from a liaison office with South Korea in Kaesung.

03/03/2019

Despite failure of summit talks between North Korea and the US, US calls off annual spring military exercises with South Korea. This has long been a goal of North Korea and Russia.

02/28/2019

Summit meeting between US Pres Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is curtailed when Kim demands a complete and immediate lifting of sanctions in return for dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear facility.

12/31/2018

Kim Jong Un affirms commitment to denuclearization in a letter to Moon. While talks with the US remain stalled and there are reports of North Korean progress on nuclear development, there are ongoing discussions among regional neighbors.

11/15/2018

North Korea announces that it has tested a new “tactical weapon,” without further description, that would protect North Korea like a “steel wall.”

11/12/2018

North Korea says that recent military drills of South Korea and United States violate the 9/19 agreement between the North and the South.

10/15/2018

North and South Korea agree to reconnect rail and road links.

10/12/2018

Moon calls for US to declare the end of the Korean War.

09/21/2018

South Korea urges the US to declare the Korean War over.

09/19/2018

North and South Korea agree to end hostilities with each other among many other steps toward reconciliation. North Korea suggests it will close nuclear facilities if the United States reciprocates. The United States is concerned that Moon is moving too quickly.

09/18/2018

Moon and Kim meet in North Korea to discuss denuclearization and related issues.

09/14/2018

North and South Korea open an office in North Korea that allows for communication at all times.

08/29/2018

Moon reported to have meetings with North Korea without the knowledge of the United States.

08/29/2018

US says that it may restart military exercises with South Korea if North Korea does not progress on denuclearization. This leaves Moon Jae-in a quandary about the UN General Assembly meeting on 9/23, if there is not good news to report.

08/15/2018

South Korean Pres Moon Jae-in proposes much deeper economic ties with North Korea.

06/22/2018

North and South Korea agree to cross-border meetings of families separated by the war.

05/28/2018

US delegation in North Korea to discuss plans for summit, which now may happen. North Korean official travels to US for discussions.

05/27/2018

Moon flies to North Korea to revive dialogue concerning summit.

05/25/2018

North Korea responds that a summit is urgently needed to moderate “hostile” situation, and that North Korea is still willing to negotiate with the US. Trump welcomes what he considered a conciliatory response.

05/24/2018

Trump cancels summit with North Korea, objecting to North Korea’s “tremendous anger and open hostility” expressed recently in objecting to Bolton’s reference to the Libya model and to Vice-president Mike Pence’s response that North Korea would end up like Libya “only if Kim Jong-un doesn’t make a deal” with the US. South Korea and is perplexed and concerned. There are reports that China sought to temper North Korea’s eagerness for the summit. China is assumed to be opposed to a unification of the peninsula.

05/15/2018

Because of current military exercises between South Korea and the US, North Korea cancels high-level meeting with South Korea. North Korea also objects to US National Security Advisor John Bolton’s comments that the US is looking to the 2003 agreement about weapons with Libya with Moammar Ghaddafi, saying that it will not discuss a complete elimination of nuclear weapons as a condition for talks and threatens to pull out of summit with US.

05/12/2018

North Korea says it will dismantle its nuclear test site within two weeks.

05/01/2018

South Korea, China, and Japan announce a summit meeting for next week.

04/27/2018

Panmunjon Declaration

Meeting in Panmunjom, Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un pledge to pursue a peace treaty between North and South Korea and denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

04/25/2018

Chinese seismologists say that North Korea’s nuclear test site has collapsed and become unstable, which may have played into the country’s decision not to continue nuclear testing. North Korea has used another site in the past.

04/21/2018

Kim Jong-un announces that North Korea no longer needs to test nuclear weapons or long-range missiles and will halt tests indefinitely.

04/19/2018

Moon Jae-In reports that North Korea is not demanding the removal of US troops as a precondition to begin talks on denuclearization, a significant change in position. This has not yet been confirmed by North Korea.

04/18/2018

North and South Korea reported to be discussing a peace agreement.

04/05/2018

Park Geun-hye is sentenced to 24 years in prison.

04/01/2018

US and South Korea begin annual military exercises, but they will be shorter and displaying more moderate weapons.

03/29/2018

North and South Korea agree that their summit meeting will be held 4/27 in Panmunjom.

03/27/2018

Kim Jong-un visits China and affirms his commitment to denuclearization in return for Chinese support.

03/26/2018

South Korea and US agree to a trade deal that will reduce South Korean exports of steel to US and increase the number of automobiles US can export to South Korea.

03/23/2018

North and South Korea agree to summit meeting in April.

03/15/2018

Former president Lee Myung-bak admits to receiving $100,000 from the National Intelligence Service while in office.

03/08/2018

South Korean envoys bring a letter to US Pres Trump offering to meet and Trump accepts. Place and time to be determined.

03/06/2018

North and South Korea announce summit meeting between Kim Il Song and Moon Jae-in in April. South Korea also says that the North is willing to discuss about de-nuclearization in talks with US if North Korea’s security is guaranteed and that missile tests would be halted during diplomacy efforts.

03/05/2018

Kim Jong-un meets with representatives of South Korea in Pyongyang.

03/01/2018

South Korea says it will send a special envoy to North Korea to discuss talks that would include the US.

02/21/2018

South Korea signs free-trade agreement with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama.

01/17/2018

North and South Korea agree to march as one team under the Unification flag in the Olympics. Only the women’s ice hockey team will have citizens of both countries on the same team.

01/09/2018

North Korea agrees to send athletes to Olympic Games in South Korea, and the two countries agree to hold talks “to ease military tensions between the two Koreas.”

01/05/2018

South and North Korea agree to hold talks to improve relations, focusing on the Olympics.

01/03/2018

North Korea reopens hotline to South Korea to discuss Olympics.

01/02/2018

Pres Moon Jae-in responds positively to North Korean offer about Olympics and directs Unification ministry to begin talks as soon as possible.

01/01/2018

Kim Jong-un boasts of nuclear power, but also calls for a “peaceful resolution to our southern border” and offers to send a delegation of athletes to the Olympics in South Korea, which begin on 2/9/18.

12/30/2017

Russia denies supplying oil to North Korea.

12/28/2017

US Pres Trump in a tweet says China selling oil to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions. South Korea later offers some support to the accusation, but China denies doing anything wrong.

12/22/2017

UN imposes increasing sanctions on North Korea, reducing the amount of refined petroleum that can be shipping there.

12/05/2017

UN diplomat visits North Korea, the first such talks, on “issues of mutual concern,” since 2011.

12/04/2017

US and South Korea hold extensive military drills in the air over the peninsula.

11/28/2017

North Korea launches a missile believed to be an ICBM Kim Jong-un says it makes North Korea a fully nuclear state.

11/20/2017

South Korea offers substantial aid to Philippines, as a counter to China and attempt to keep Philippines as part of alliance of Asia-Pacific countries.

11/16/2017

US and South Korea begin 10-day naval drill.

11/15/2017

China announces it will send a high-level envoy to North Korea on 11/17.

11/02/2017

US bombers fly drills over South Korea, angering North Korea.

10/31/2017

South Korea and China agree to seek to improve relations upset by THAAD deployment.