A sitting president was arrested for the first time, the Constitutional Court removed Yoon Suk Yeol in April, and Lee Jae-myung won the early election in June. Huge wildfires in the southeast destroyed Gounsa temple in March, and Gyeongju hosted the APEC summit in late October and November. “KPop Demon Hunters” became Netflix’s most-watched original title.
The year in Korea
Jan 15The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials took President Yoon Suk Yeol into custody, the first arrest of a sitting president in the nation’s history. [Source]
Mar 21Wildfires starting in Sancheong spread to more than 20 simultaneous blazes across the southeast, including Uiseong and Andong; on March 25 Gounsa, a Silla-era temple in Uiseong, was destroyed. [Source]
Apr 4The Constitutional Court unanimously (8–0) upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, removing him from office. [Source]
Jun 3Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party defeated the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo and others in the early presidential election and took office the next day; turnout was 79.38%, the highest since 1997. [Source]
Sep 4U.S. immigration authorities raided a Hyundai Motor Group EV plant site in Georgia, detaining about 475 workers, including many South Koreans. [Source]
Nov 1The APEC meetings in Gyeongju concluded with the Economic Leaders’ Meeting; it was the second time South Korea hosted APEC, after 2005. [Source]
Nov 27The Nuri rocket made its fourth launch from the Naro Space Center. [Source]
Advertisement
Around the world
Jan 20Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. [Source]
May 8Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States was elected pope at the conclave, taking the name Leo XIV. [Source]
Songs, shows & trends
TV drama
Netflix – “When Life Gives You Tangerines” — A Jeju-set drama starring IU and Park Bo-gum, released weekly from March 7 to wide acclaim. [Source]
“Squid Game” Season 3 — The third and final season was released on June 27, concluding the series. [Source]
Sports
Son Heung-min lifts the Europa League — On May 21 Tottenham beat Manchester United 1–0 in the final, giving him his first major trophy; in August he moved to Los Angeles FC. [Source]
Film
Netflix – “KPop Demon Hunters” — An animated film about K-pop idols released on June 20; by year’s end it was Netflix’s most-watched original title ever. [Source]
Music
HUNTR/X – “Golden” — The “KPop Demon Hunters” song entered the Billboard Hot 100 in July and later rose to No. 1. [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