Amid the pandemic, April by-elections handed the mayoralties of Seoul and Busan to People Power Party candidates, and a phased “return to normal” began in November. The homegrown Nuri rocket made its first launch, and Netflix’s “Squid Game” became a global phenomenon.
The year in Korea
Apr 7In by-elections, the People Power Party’s Oh Se-hoon won the Seoul mayoralty with 57.50% of the vote and Park Heong-joon won in Busan. [Source]
Jul 26The World Heritage Committee inscribed “Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats” on the UNESCO World Heritage List. [Source]
Aug 13Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, imprisoned in connection with the influence-peddling scandal, was released on parole. [Source]
Oct 21The Korean-developed Nuri rocket made its first launch from the Naro Space Center, but its third stage shut down early and the dummy payload failed to reach orbit. [Source]
Nov 1South Korea began a phased “return to normal” (so-called “living with COVID”) policy. [Source]
Dec 24The government announced a special pardon for former president Park Geun-hye, who was released on December 31. [Source]
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Around the world
Jul 23The Tokyo Olympics, postponed by a year due to COVID-19, were held from July 23 to August 8. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
Music
Brave Girls – “Rollin’” chart comeback — A 2017 song that went viral in February via a compilation of the group’s performances for soldiers and climbed to No. 1 on the charts. [Source]
BTS – “Butter” — The second English single, released May 21, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and held the top spot for weeks. [Source]
Film
Youn Yuh-jung wins an Oscar for “Minari” — In April she became the first Korean actress to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. [Source]
TV & broadcasting
Mnet – “Street Woman Fighter” — A competition among female dance crews that began on August 24 and sparked a dance craze. [Source]
TV drama
Netflix – “Squid Game” — Released on September 17, it became Netflix’s most-watched series and later won six Primetime Emmy Awards. [Source]
Year League: the best year
Sources
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