A History of Korea (118 page)

3 June 1947

In accordance with U.S. “Koreanization” policy, South Korean Interim Government established

10 July 1947

U.S.-Soviet Joint Commission collapses over which Korean political parties and social organizations should be consulted in pursuance of the Moscow agreement to form a provisional Korean government

19 July 1947

Yo Un-hyong assassinated

29 July 1947

Left-Right Coalition Committee collapses

17 September 1947

United States presents Korean issue before Second Session of the
U.N.
General Assembly.

14 November 1947

U.N.
General Assembly adopts U.S.-sponsored resolution calling for general elections to establish a national government in Korea

23 January 1948

Soviet Union refuses admission into northern Korea by
U.N.
Temporary Commission on Korea, charged with supervising Korean elections

6 February 1948

U.N.
Temporary Commission consults with Interim Committee of
U.N.
General Assembly

7 February 1948

South Korean leftists carry out sabotage and strikes in opposition to establishment of separate South Korean government

8 February 1948

Korean People’s Army established in northern Korea

26 February 1948

Interim Committee of
U.N.
General Assembly adopts U.S.-sponsored resolution that the Temporary Commission observe elections for representatives to a national assembly in areas of Korea accessible to the Temporary Commission

22 March 1948

U.S. Military Government announces program to sell formerly Japanese-owned farmland

3 April 1948

South Korean communists initiate Cheju-do uprising

19 April 1948

North-South political leaders’ conference convenes in Pyongyang

30 April 1948

North-South political leaders’ conference calls for withdrawal of all foreign troops, establishment of a provisional all-Korean government, and peaceful unification of Korea by nationwide elections

10 May 1948

First general elections held in southern Korea

14 May 1948

Protesting the general elections, northern Korea cuts off electric power to southern Korea

31 May 1948

National Assembly convenes in Seoul

12 July 1948

First South Korean constitution adopted

24 July 1948

Syngman Rhee sworn in as South Korean president

15 August 1948

Republic of Korea (South Korea) formally established

25 August 1948

Elections in northern and southern Korea to choose representatives of a Supreme People’s Assembly

9 September 1948

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) formally established, with Kim Il-sung as premier

19 October 1948

ROK
14th Regiment revolts against government, initiating the Y
ŏ
su-Sunch’
ŏ
n rebellion

27 October 1948

ROK
government forces suppress Y
ŏ
su-Sunch’
ŏ
n rebellion

20 November 1948

ROK
National Assembly passes National Security Law outlawing communism

12 December 1948

ROK
recognized by
U.N.
General Assembly as the only lawfully constituted government on Korean peninsula

27 December 1948

Soviet Union announces complete withdrawal of its troops from North Korea

10 February 1949

Korean Democratic Party renamed Democratic National Party

17 March 1949

North Korea and Soviet Union conclude cultural and economic treaties, and secret military assistance agreement

4 May 1949

North and South Korea commence border fighting along 38th parallel

21 June 1949

South Korean government promulgates land reform bill

25 June 1949

North Korea forms Democratic Front for the Unification of the Fatherland to forge a united front with Syngman Rhee’s opponents

29 June 1949

United States withdraws last of its troops from South Korea

30 June 1949

North Korean Workers Party and South Korean Workers Party merge into Korean Workers Party, with Kim Il-sung as chairman

12 January l950

In National Press Club speech, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson excludes South Korea from America’s defense perimeter in East Asia, casting doubts on U.S. security commitment to the
ROK

19 January 1950

U.S. House of Representatives defeats Korea aid bill for 1950

30 March-

In visit to the Soviet Union, Kim Il-sung secures Stalin’s

25 April 1950

approval for invasion of South Korea

3 April 1950

Land reform begins in South Korea, with most farmlands distributed in May and June

13-16 May 1950

Kim Il-sung visits China to secure Mao Zedong’s approval for planned invasion of South Korea

30 May 1950

Second
ROK
National Assembly elections produce a majority of legislators hostile to Rhee government

7 June 1950

Central Committee of Democratic Front for the Unification of the Fatherland proposes all-Korean elections in August to elect a unified assembly

19 June 1950

North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly proposes merger with South Korean National Assembly

25 June 1950

North Korean forces cross 38th parallel to invade South Korea, initiating the Korean War

27 June 1950

U.N.
Security Council proclaims North Korean attack a breach of world peace and asks for South Korea’s assistance

28 June 1950

Seoul falls to North Korean forces

30 June 1950

U.S. President Harry S. Truman commits American ground troops to Korea

5 July 1950

Task Force Smith takes action against North Korean forces just north of Osan

7 July 1950

U.N.
Command established, with General Douglas MacArthur as commander

14 July 1950

South Korean President Syngman Rhee hands over authority of South Korean forces to General MacArthur

26 July 1950

“Nog
ŭ
n-ni railroad bridge incident,” in which American soldiers kill several hundred South Korean civilians

15 September 1950

U.N.
forces (X Corps) land at Inch’on

28 September 1950

U.N.
forces regain Seoul

1 October 1950

South Korean troops cross 38th parallel

7 October 1950

U.N.
General Assembly sanctions advance of
U.N.
forces into North Korea

19 October 1950

U.N.
forces take Pyongyang

25 October 1950

U.N.
forces confront Chinese forces

24 November 1950

U.N.
forces renew offensive toward Yalu River.

11 December 1950

H
ŭ
ngnam evacuation begins

4 January 1951

Seoul again falls to communists

14 March 1951

U.N.
forces retake Seoul

11 April 1951

U.S. President Truman relieves General MacArthur of his command, replacing him with Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway

23 June 1951

Jacob Malik, Soviet representative to the United Nations, proposes armistice negotiations

10 July 1951

Armistice talks begin at Kaes
ŏ
ng

25 October 1951

Armistice talks resume at P’anmunj
ŏ
m

23 December 1951

Liberal Party formed as Syngman Rhee’s ruling party

18 January 1952

ROK
National Assembly rejects constitutional amendments proposed by Syngman Rhee providing for direct presidential election

25 May 1952

Syngman Rhee declares martial law in Pusan and surrounding regions

26 May 1952

More than 50 opposition legislators arrested in protest against Syngman Rhee’s declaration of martial law

4 July 1952

ROK
National Assembly passes compromise legislation allowing constitutional amendments for direct presidential election

5 August 1952

Syngman Rhee wins direct presidential election

18 June 1953

Syngman Rhee releases 27,000 North Korean prisoners of war Korean armistice signed at P’anmunj
ŏ
m

27 July 1953

1 October 1953

ROK-U.S.
Mutual Defense Treaty signed

20 May 1954

Syngman Rhee’s Liberal Party obtains majority of seats in National Assembly elections

29 November 1954

In the “rounded-off” constitutional amendment, Rhee’s proposal to abolish two-term limitations on the presidency passes in National Assembly

28 December 1955

Kim Il-sung enunciates the juche ideology

15 May 1956

Synagman Rhee reelected president; in separate vice presidential election, opposition candidate Chang My
ŏ
n defeats Rhee’s protégé, Yi Ki-bung

2 May 1958

In National Assembly elections, main opposition Democratic Party gains dramatic win, taking 79 of 233 seats

24 December 1958

National Assembly passes new National Security Law, virtually suspending democracy

15 March 1960

Rhee, unopposed, wins another presidential victory; Rhee’s Liberal Party rigs vice presidential election to ensure Chang My
ŏ
n’s defeat, leading to violent protests

19 April 1960

April Student Revolution erupts

26 April 1960

President Rhee resigns; three days later leaves Korea for exile in Hawaii; First Republic ends

15 June l960

ROK
constitution amended to provide for a cabinet responsible to legislature

29 July 1960

Democratic Party wins overwhelming victory in National Assembly election

23 August 1960

Chang My
ŏ
n elected
ROK
prime minister, inaugurating Second Republic.

16 May 1961

Major General Park Chung-hee stages coup, ending Second Republic

18 May 1961

Park Chung-hee forces general resignation of Chang My
ŏ
n cabinet and reorganizes his military junta into Supreme Council for National Reconstruction

13 January 1962

South Korea announces First Five-Year Economic Development Plan (1962–1966)

17 December 1962

New constitution resembling that of the First Republic put to popular referendum and approved by a wide margin

15 October 1963

Park Chung-hee elected president by narrow margin

26 November 1963

Park Chung-hee’s Democratic Republican Party wins majority of seats in National Assembly elections

17 December 1963

Park Chung-hee sworn in as president, inaugurating Third Republic.

22 June 1965

South Korea and Japan sign Treaty of Basic Relations, establishing formal diplomatic ties

29 July 1966

South Korea announces the Second Five-Year Economic Development Plan (1967-1971)

3 May 1967

Park Chung-hee wins another presidential term

8 June 1967

Democratic Republican Party obtains a two-thirds majority of seats in National Assembly elections, enabling it to pass constitutional amendments

21 January 1968

Squad of 31 North Korean commandos reaches northern edge of Seoul