On May 16, Major General Park Chung Hee and other officers staged a military coup that toppled the Second Republic, and the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction took over legislative, executive and judicial power. The Korean Central Intelligence Agency was created, and at year's end KBS television went on air.
The year in Korea
May 16Military forces led by Major General Park Chung Hee staged a coup that brought down the Chang Myon cabinet (the May 16 coup). [Source]
May 19The Military Revolutionary Committee was renamed the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which exercised all three branches of power. [Source]
Jun 10The Korean Central Intelligence Agency Act was enacted, establishing the KCIA. [Source]
Jul 3Chang Do-yong was ousted and Park Chung Hee became chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction. [Source]
Dec 31KBS launched its television service. [Source]
Apr 12Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth aboard Vostok 1. [Source]
Aug 13East Germany began building the Berlin Wall. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
Music
Han Myung-sook – “The Man in the Yellow Shirt” — Composed by Son Seok-woo, it was a huge hit and, after spreading to Southeast Asia, is regarded as the first Korean pop song to become a hit abroad. [Source]
Film
Shin Sang-ok’s “Seong Chun-hyang” — Korea's first color CinemaScope film drew 360,000 viewers. [Source]
Yu Hyun-mok’s “Aimless Bullet” — Based on Lee Beom-seon's novel, it was completed in 1960 but held back before its 1961 release. [Source]
“The Coachman” wins at Berlin — At the 11th Berlin International Film Festival it became the first Korean film to win a major international award. [Source]
Products & services
Dong-A Pharm’s “Bacchus” — An energy drink sold since 1961. [Source]
Year League: the best year
Sources
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1960s · Revolution and the Start of Industrialization
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