After the first case was confirmed in January, COVID-19 spread widely, centered on Daegu, and masks and social distancing became part of daily life. Korean pop culture drew worldwide attention as “Parasite” won the Oscar for Best Picture and BTS’s “Dynamite” topped the Billboard Hot 100.
The year in Korea
Jan 20South Korea announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19. [Source]
FebConfirmed cases surged due to a cluster linked to a Shincheonji Church of Jesus gathering in Daegu. [Source]
Apr 15In the legislative election, the Democratic Party and its satellite Platform Party won 180 of 300 seats, with turnout of 66.2%, the highest since 1992. [Source]
Jun 16North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office building in Kaesong. [Source]
AugA long monsoon season and torrential rains caused severe flooding across both Koreas from June through August. [Source]
Oct 25Lee Kun-hee, longtime chairman of Samsung, died. [Source]
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Around the world
Mar 11The World Health Organization assessed the spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic. [Source]
Nov 3Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
TV & broadcasting
TV Chosun – “Mr. Trot” — A trot singing competition that began on January 2 and became one of the most popular shows on Korean TV, fueling a trot boom. [Source]
Film
“Parasite” wins four Oscars — At the February 9 ceremony it won four awards, including Best Picture, the first non-English-language film to do so. [Source]
TV drama
JTBC – “The World of the Married” — A drama of infidelity and revenge that began on March 27; its 28.371% finale set a Korean cable TV record at the time. [Source]
Music
BTS – “Dynamite” — The band’s first all-English song, released August 21, made BTS the first all-Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100. [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