The financial crisis brought corporate restructuring and mass layoffs, and citizens donated gold to help the country recover. The new Kim Dae-jung administration pursued reconciliation with the North, opening Mount Kumgang tours, while Pak Se-ri’s victory and the PC bang and StarCraft craze captured attention.
The year in Korea
JanA nationwide gold-collection campaign spread as citizens donated household gold to help overcome the currency crisis. [Source]
FebKim Dae-jung was inaugurated, launching what he called the “Government of the People.” [Source]
JunHyundai founder Chung Ju-yung crossed into North Korea through Panmunjom with 500 head of cattle. [Source]
NovHyundai-run tours to Mount Kumgang began, taking South Korean tourists to the North by ship. [Source]
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Around the world
AugRussia devalued the ruble and defaulted on its debt amid a financial crisis. [Source]
SepGoogle was founded in the United States. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
Games
Blizzard – “StarCraft” — Released in Korea in April, it became a phenomenon and laid the groundwork for esports culture. [Source]
Trend
PC bangs — Internet gaming cafés sprang up in neighborhoods across the country. [Source]
Sports
Pak Se-ri wins the U.S. Women’s Open — Her barefoot shot from the edge of a water hazard became an image of hope during the crisis. [Source]
Film
Hur Jin-ho – “Christmas in August” — A quiet, understated romance starring Han Suk-kyu and Shim Eun-ha. [Source]
“Whispering Corridors” — A horror film set in a girls’ high school that launched a long-running series. [Source]
TV
SBS – “Soonpoong Clinic” — A daily sitcom that premiered in March and stayed popular through 2000. [Source]
Year League: the best year
Sources
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