North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, raising tensions on the peninsula, while Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was chosen as UN Secretary-General. Negotiations on a Korea–U.S. free trade agreement began, and the film “The Host” set a new box-office record.
The year in Korea
MayThe fourth nationwide simultaneous local elections were held. [Source]
JunSouth Korea and the United States opened formal negotiations on a free trade agreement. [Source]
OctNorth Korea announced it had carried out its first nuclear test. [Source]
OctForeign Minister Ban Ki-moon was appointed the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations. [Source]
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Around the world
AugThe International Astronomical Union redefined “planet,” removing Pluto from the list. [Source]
DecFormer Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was executed. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
Film
Bong Joon-ho – “The Host” — A monster film set on the Han River that broke Korea’s all-time attendance record at the time. [Source]
TV drama
MBC – “Jumong” — A historical epic about the founder of Goguryeo that drew very high ratings. [Source]
MBC – “Princess Hours” — A romance set in an imagined constitutional-monarchy Korea that caught viewers’ imagination. [Source]
Sports
Semifinal run at the first World Baseball Classic — Korea’s national team reached the semifinals, reviving the country’s passion for baseball. [Source]
Music
BIGBANG debuts — Debuted under YG Entertainment and became one of K-pop’s defining groups. [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