KBS's live special “Finding Dispersed Families” ran for more than four months and moved the entire nation. Security tragedies followed one after another: Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down by a Soviet fighter in September, and in October a North Korean bombing at the Aung San Mausoleum in Myanmar killed South Korean cabinet ministers and others. School uniforms became optional and professional soccer kicked off.
The year in Korea
FebNorth Korean air force pilot Lee Ung-pyong defected to the South in a MiG-19. [Source]
MayA hijacked Chinese airliner made an emergency landing in Chuncheon, leading to the first official contact between the Seoul and Beijing governments. [Source]
JunKBS began its live special “Finding Dispersed Families,” which continued until November. [Source]
SepKorean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down by a Soviet fighter over Soviet territory, killing everyone on board. [Source]
OctA bomb planted by North Korea exploded at the Aung San Mausoleum in Myanmar, killing South Korean cabinet ministers and others. [Source]
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Around the world
MarU.S. President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
Sports
Launch of the professional soccer “Super League” — The forerunner of today's K League kicked off in May 1983. [Source]
Trend
School uniforms made optional — Students could now attend school in their own clothes instead of standard uniforms. [Source]
Film
Lee Jang-ho – “Declaration of Idiot” — Made under heavy censorship, it satirized society through an experimental style. [Source]
Gadgets & services
Lotte “Pepero” — This chocolate-coated stick snack, launched in 1983, became hugely popular. [Source]
Year League: the best year
Sources
Each [Source] link points to the Wikipedia article for that item. Wikipedia content is available under CC BY-SA. More about this year on Wikipedia