SEOUL: South Korea and Japan resumed bilateral trade on this day in 1955 for the first time since Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, marking a significant step towards normalizing diplomatic relations that would eventually be formalized in 1965. This event is among several key historical and cultural milestones achieved by South Korea over the years.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the resumption of trade between South Korea and Japan was a crucial development in post-war East Asia, fostering economic ties that had been severed by decades of conflict and colonial domination. This day also saw other notable events in Korean history, including the establishment of diplomatic relations with Lithuania in 1991 and significant achievements in Korean cinema and sports.
In 1993, the film “Seopyeonje,” directed by Im Kwon-taek, received awards for best director and best actress at the Shanghai International Film Festival, highlighting the global recognition of Korean cultural products. Sports a
chievements include the conclusion of the 14th Asian Games in Busan in 2002, where South Korea proudly finished second in the medal count.
The historical narrative of Korea also features moments of political and social significance, such as the funeral held in 2010 for Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korean defector, who was a staunch critic of Pyongyang. His death marked the end of a significant chapter in Korean history concerning North-South relations.
The timeline also includes more recent events, such as the death of former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo in 2021 and North Korea’s military actions in 2022, which involved firing a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea and numerous artillery shots into maritime “buffer zones” agreed upon in the 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction accord.
These events, ranging from diplomatic achievements and cultural milestones to moments of political tension, illustrate the dynamic and multifaceted history of Korea.