In the year after the armistice, refugees returned home and postwar recovery continued. The Liberal Party, which won a majority in the May election, pushed through the so-called rounding-off amendment in November, lifting the term limit for the first president and opening the way to Rhee's long rule. The year also saw a lighthouse built on Dokdo, the founding of the Hankook Ilbo, the launch of CBS as the first private broadcaster, and Korea's first World Cup appearance.
The year in Korea
May 20Elections for the third National Assembly were held, and the Liberal Party won a majority. [Source]
Jun 9The Hankook Ilbo was launched after Chang Key-young took over an existing paper and renamed it. [Source]
AugA lighthouse was installed on Dokdo for the first time. [Source]
Nov 27An amendment lifting the first president's term limit was declared defeated by one vote, but two days later the Liberal Party reversed the result by 'rounding off' the quorum (the Sasaoip amendment). [Source]
Dec 15CBS, Korea's first Christian radio station and first private broadcaster, went on air. [Source]
Apr 26The Geneva Conference opened to address Korea and Indochina; the Korean session ended without agreement. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
Music
“Farewell at Busan Station” — Nam In-soo's song about refugees parting as they left Busan on trains back to Seoul became a huge hit. [Source]
Books
Chung Bi-seok's novel “Madame Freedom” — Depicting Westernized mores among some postwar circles, it caused a sensation and an obscenity controversy. [Source]
Sports
First World Cup appearance in Switzerland — Korea became the first independent Asian nation at a World Cup finals but lost heavily to Hungary and Turkey. [Source]
Year League: the best year
Sources
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