South Korea's Historical Milestones on May 26
Quick Look
May 26 marks significant events in South Korean history, including port openings in 1898, political arrests in 1952, UN military control in 1961, and major diplomatic and cultural achievements like satellite launches, film awards, and inter-Korean summits.
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Why It Matters
This compilation highlights significant historical events in South Korea that occurred on May 26 across various years, spanning diplomatic, political, economic, and cultural spheres. It includes key moments from the late 19th century to recent years.
May 26
1898 -- Korea opens three ports to foreign trade. People and goods from overseas begin to stream into the country through Masan, Gunsan and Hamheung.
1952 -- Around 50 opposition lawmakers are arrested by military police after they refused to support President Rhee Syngman's proposal to introduce a referendum for a presidential election. Rhee saw little chance of reelection by the parliament, two-thirds of which was controlled by independents.
1961 -- The United Nations takes back operational control of South Korea's military following a coup led by Park Chung-hee. The country had regained control of its military from the U.N. after the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
1978 -- Construction of a large petrochemical complex is completed in Yeocheon, 316 kilometers south of Seoul.
1992 -- Kim Dae-jung, then co-chairman of the opposition Millennium Democratic Party, is named the party's candidate for the presidential election in December of that year. Kim lost to ruling party candidate Kim Young-sam but won the next election in 1997.
1995 -- North Korea publicly acknowledges its chronic food shortages and asks Japan for rice aid.
1999 -- A South Korean-made satellite, KITSAT-3, is successfully launched into orbit from the Sriharikota Range in Madras, India.
2002 -- Veteran director Im Kwon-taek becomes the first South Korean to win the Best Director award at the Cannes International Film Festival for "Chihwaseon," the story of an eminent Korean painter in the late 19th century.
2014 -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, agree to strengthen cooperation in curbing North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Wang was in Seoul for a two-day visit to discuss the North's nuclear problem and the timing of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to South Korea.
2018 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hold a surprise second summit, announced after the fact by Moon's office. It was seen as a move to convince Kim to hold his scheduled summit talks with U.S. President Donald Trump over denuclearization, after Trump called it off, citing what he said was the North's open hostility toward the United States.
The two-hour meeting took place at Tongil-gak on the North Korean side of the truce village Panmunjom. Pyongyang announced the next day its leader would go to Singapore to meet Trump and that the two Koreas would have another round of high-level talks ahead of the Kim-Trump summit.
2019 -- South Korean director Bong Joon-ho wins the highest honor at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival for his black comedy movie "Parasite." Bong became the first South Korean director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Another director, Park Chan-wook, was awarded the Grand Prix, the second-highest prize at the festival, for his thriller "Old Boy" in 2004.
Open Questions
- What were the long-term consequences of Korea opening its ports in 1898?
- What was the specific outcome of the arrests of opposition lawmakers in 1952?
- How did the UN's regained control of South Korea's military impact the nation?
- What was the immediate impact of North Korea's request for rice aid from Japan?
