The sinking of the Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island sharply raised tensions on the peninsula. Seoul hosted the G20 summit, Kim Yu-na’s Olympic gold in Vancouver and the team’s first World Cup knockout-stage berth on foreign soil brought joy, and smartphone services like KakaoTalk spread rapidly.
The year in Korea
MarThe navy corvette Cheonan sank near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 sailors. [Source]
JunThe fifth nationwide simultaneous local elections were held. [Source]
NovSeoul hosted the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit. [Source]
NovNorth Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island, killing soldiers and civilians. [Source]
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Around the world
JanA massive earthquake struck Haiti, causing enormous loss of life. [Source]
AprThe Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a massive oil spill. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
Sports
Kim Yu-na wins Olympic gold in Vancouver — She won the women’s figure skating title with a then world-record score. [Source]
First World Cup knockout round on foreign soil — Korea reached the round of 16 at a World Cup held abroad for the first time. [Source]
Gadgets & services
KakaoTalk launches — Launched in March and quickly became Korea’s go-to messaging app. [Source]
Film
Lee Jeong-beom – “The Man from Nowhere” — An action film starring Won Bin that became the year’s top-grossing movie. [Source]
TV drama
KBS – “Baker King, Kim Tak-goo” — A coming-of-age story about a young man aspiring to be a master baker, with soaring ratings. [Source]
SBS – “Secret Garden” — A fantasy romance starring Hyun Bin and Ha Ji-won that became a sensation. [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