2024 in South Korea explained

The following lists events in the year 2024 in South Korea.

Events

January

• 2 January – Attempted assassination of Lee Jae-myung: Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung is stabbed in the neck while visiting Busan.^[1] Lee is taken to Pusan National University Hospital about 20 minutes after the attack, and the suspect is arrested at the scene.^[2]
• 5 January – North Korea fires 200 artillery shells near Yeonpyeong Island, prompting evacuations.^[3]
• 9 January – South Korea bans the breeding and slaughter of dogs for consumption, effective in 2027, with the government promising to fully support dog meat farmers, butchers and restaurant owners.^{[4] [5]}
• 15 January – The government announces its decision to invest a total of 622 trillion won by 2047 to build a semiconductor mega cluster of Pyeongtaek, Icheon, Yongin, Hwaseong, Seongnam, and Suwon in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province. The plan also includes raising the self-sufficiency rate of key material, parts, and equipment supply chains to 50% by 2030, and policy support for companies.^[6]
• 19 January to 2 February – 2024 Winter Youth Olympics at Gangwon Province^[7]
• 23 January – More than 350 flights at Jeju International Airport are canceled due to heavy snow and strong winds.^[8]
• 25 January – People Power Party assemblywoman Bae Hyun-jin is attacked and hospitalized in Seoul.^[9]

February

• 14 February – Cuba and South Korea establish diplomatic relations after exchanging letters via their United Nations representatives.^[10]
• 16–25 February – 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships at Busan^[11]
• 6 February – Ministry of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong said that the number of medical students will increase by 2,000 from 2025. This is the first time since 1998 that the number of medical students will be expanded. The Korea Medical Association warns that it would go on a nationwide strike if the government pushes for expanding the number of admissions to medical schools.^[12]

March

• 12 March –
  • 2024 South Korean doctors' strike

The government begins suspending the medical licenses of thousands of striking doctors due to growing concerns that the month-long strike is affecting medical services.^[13]

• • • Over 10,000 doctors go on strike at 100 educational hospitals, leading to a number of delays in treatment.

• 18–20 March – South Korea hosts the Summit for Democracy 2024.^[14]
• 20 March – The South Korean-flagged tanker Keoyoung Sun capsizes off the coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, during stormy weather. Nine crew members are found dead, while one person remains missing. Two people are rescued.^[15]

April

• 8 April – South Korea launches its second home-grown technology intelligence satellite mounted on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States.^[16]
• 10 April – 2024 South Korean legislative election
  • The opposition, primarily consisting of the Democratic Party, its alliance and the Rebuilding Korea Party, increases their legislative majority in the National Assembly but falls short of the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass constitutional amendments or override the veto of President Yoon Suk Yeol.^[17]
• 11 April – Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon and several aides of President Yoon Suk-yeol resign from their positions, citing the losses incurred by the administration in the legislative elections.^{[18] [19]}
• 12 April – The Bank of Korea's Monetary Policy Committee freezes the key interest rate at 3.5 percent for the 10th consecutive time.^[20]
• 15 April – The Supreme Court of Korea dismisses a lawsuit to annul the results of the 2022 gubernatorial election in Gyeonggi Province.^[21]
• 29 April – President Yoon Suk Yeol meets with Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, for talks.^[22]

May

• 2 May – South Korea raises its terrorism alert level to the second highest level, citing strong chances of an attack from North Korea on its overseas diplomatic offices.^[23]
• 9 May – President Yoon holds a press conference in the Presidential Office to mark his second anniversary in office. Yoon acknowledgesthat the government's measures to solve various economic problems, including high prices, have fallen short of people's expectations and expresses his concern about the country's low birth rate. He also announces plans to establish a new ministry.^[24]
• 21–22 May – President Yoon, Group of Seven leaders, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and OECD and EU leaders attend the AI Seoul Summit that is also attended by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, as well as representatives from OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and Naver.^[25]
• 22 May – President Yoon announces a ₩26 trillion (US$19 billion) support package for the country's semiconductor industry, which accounts for 18% of the country's total exports.^[26]
• 29 May – North Korea deploys 260 balloons carrying garbage and possible human waste over South Korea, which Pyongyang says is in retaliation for balloons sent into the North by anti-regime activists.^[27]

June

• 4–5 June – 2024 South Korea–Africa Summit: President Yoon and representatives from 48 African countries held a summit meeting in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do.
• 4 June – The State Council of South Korea suspends the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration due to border tensions over balloons sent by North Korea.^[28]
• 5 June – The United States and South Korea participate in the first precision guided bombing drill in seven years over the Korean Peninsula.^[29]
• 6 June - A South Korean activists’ group led by North Korean defector Park Sang-hak sends 200,000 anti-Pyongyang leaflets, U.S. bills, and USB sticks containing K-pop songs and South Korean dramas to North Korea with 10 balloons in retaliation to for the North's deployment of balloons carrying trash to South Korea.^[30]
• 7 June – Samsung Electronics experiences its first ever labor walkout following a dispute over pay and workers' bonuses.^[31]
• 9 June:
  • South Korea announces that it would resume loudspeaker broadcasts into North Korea for the first time since 2018 in retaliation for the latter's deployment of trash-filled balloons.^[32]
  • A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat.^[33]
• 12 June – A magnitude 4.3 earthquake strikes North Jeolla Province, damaging at least 285 structures.^[34]
• 18 June:
  • A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the central section of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat.^[35]
  • President Yoon Suk Yeol declares a 'demographic national emergency'.^[36]
• 20 June – A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat.^[37]
• 24 June – A fire at a factory producing lithium batteries in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, kills 23 people.^[38]

July

• 1 July – Nine pedestrians are killed and four others are injured after being hit by a car near Seoul City Hall.^[39]
• 3–6 July – More than 1,000 people fall ill in an outbreak of norovirus in Namwon that is blamed on kimchi.^[40]
• 5 July – The suspect in the attempted assassination of Lee Jae-myung is convicted and sentenced by the Busan District Court to 15 years' imprisonment.^[41]
• 8 July–ongoing – Members of the National Samsung Electronics Union go on strike following a dispute over pay and workers' bonuses.^[42] On 10 July, the union extends the strike indefinitely.^[43]
• 8 July – The government withdraws its plan to suspend the licences of junior doctors participating in the ongoing doctors' strike.^[44]
• 16 July – The National Intelligence Service announces the defection of North Korean diplomat Ri Il Kyu and his family from his posting in Cuba in November 2023.^[45]
• 17 July – A former official of the Central Intelligence Agency and the United States National Security Council is charged by the US Department of Justice with spying for the South Korean National Intelligence Service.^[46]
• 18 July – The Supreme Court of Korea orders the National Health Insurance Service to extend spousal insurance coverage to LGBT couples following a lawsuit by a gay couple alleging discrimination.^[47]
• 23 July – Kim Beom-soo, the head of Kakao, is arrested in Seoul on charges of manipulating the stock prices of K-pop firm SM Entertainment to ensure his takeover of the latter.^[48]
• 30 July – A civilian employee of the Defense Counterintelligence Command is arrested on charges of leaking military secrets to a Chinese national.^[49]

August

• 20 August – A North Korean soldier defects to South Korea by crossing through a section of the DMZ in Goseong County, Gangwon Province.^[50]

Holidays

As per Presidential Decree No. 28394, 2017. 10. 17., partially amended, the following days are declared holidays in South Korea:^{[51] [52]}

• 1 January - New Year's Day
• 9 February to 11 February - Korean New Year
• 1 March - March 1st Movement Day
• 5 May - Children's Day South Korea
• 15 May - Buddha's Birthday
• 6 June - Memorial Day
• 15 August - National Liberation Day
• 16 September to 18 September - Chuseok
• 3 October - National Foundation Day
• 9 October - Hangul Day
• 25 December - Christmas Day

Art and entertainment

• 2024 in South Korean music
• 2024 in South Korean television
• List of South Korean films of 2024
• List of 2024 box office number-one films in South Korea
• List of South Korean submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Deaths

January

• 9 January – Choi Hong-suk, 35, volleyball player (Seoul Woori Card Wibee, national team).^[53]
• 19 January – Lee Doo-yong, 81, film director (The General in Red Robes, The Korean Connection, Mulleya Mulleya) and screenwriter.^[54]

February

• 5 February – Namkoong Won, 89, film actor (Woman of Fire, Inchon)^[55]

April

• 23 April – Ro Jai-bong, 88, Prime Minister (1990–1991)^[56]

See also

Country overviews

• South Korea
• History of Korea
• Outline of South Korea
• Government of South Korea
• Cabinet of South Korea
• Politics of South Korea
• Years in South Korea
• Timeline of Korean history

Related timelines for current period

• 2024
• 2020s
• 2020s in political history

External links

• Online calendar

Notes and References

1. News: Sang-Hun . Choe . 2024-01-02 . South Korean Opposition Leader Is Stabbed . en-US . The New York Times . 2024-01-02 . 0362-4331.
2. News: January 2, 2024 . (2nd LD) Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung attacked during visit to Busan . Yonhap News Agency.
3. Web site: Jie . Lim Hui . 2024-01-05 . North Korea fires 200 artillery shells near Yeonpyeong Island; South reportedly orders evacuation . 2024-01-05 . CNBC . en.
4. Web site: Stewart . Jessie Yeung, Gawon Bae, Yoonjung Seo, Marc . 2024-01-09 . South Korea passes bill to ban eating dog meat, ending controversial practice as consumer habits change . 2024-01-10 . CNN . en.
5. News: South Korea parliament passes law banning dog meat . Mackenzie . Jean . BBC News . 9 January 2024 . January 15, 2024.
6. News: January 15, 2024 . S. Korea unveils plan to build semiconductor mega cluster by 2047 . Yonhap News Agency.
7. Web site: Your gateway to the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 . November 3, 2023 . Olympic . en.
8. News: January 23, 2024 . Nearly 350 flights at Jeju airport canceled on snow, winds . Yonhap News Agency.
9. Web site: 2024-01-25 . PPP lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin hospitalized after being attacked by '15 year-old boy' . 2024-01-25 . . en.
10. Web site: Presse . AFP-Agence France . Cuba Restores Ties With South Korea After 65 Years . 2024-02-14 . www.barrons.com . en-US.
11. Web site: 22 September 2022 . Dates for Busan 2024 ITTF World Team Championships Finals Announced . 7 November 2023 . International Table Tennis Federation.
12. News: February 6, 2024 . (3rd LD) Number of medical students to be boosted by 2,000 next year, while doctors warn of strike . Yonhap News Agency.
13. News: March 12, 2024 . South Korea doctors' strike: government moves to suspend thousands of medical licences . The Guardian.
14. Web site: March 18, 2024 . South Korea hosts democracy summit as its own democratic principles erode . KOREAPRO.
15. Web site: One of two missing crew members of capsized South Korean tanker found . NHK . 21 March 2024 . 21 March 2024.
16. News: April 8, 2024 . (2nd LD) S. Korea successfully launches 2nd spy satellite into orbit . Yonhap News Agency.
17. Web site: April 11, 2024 . Opposition win in South Korea election to deepen policy stalemate for Yoon . .
18. Web site: 14 April 2024 . Presidential office says it will take time to name new PM, chief of staff after election defeat . . 14 April 2024 . 14 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240414183051/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240414000800320?section=national/politics . live .
19. Web site: 11 April 2024 . South Korea's prime minister and top presidential officials offer to resign after election defeat . Associated Press . 11 April 2024 . 11 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240411024600/https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-yoon-parliament-election-8a538a2c99146aa6e2279d13b6a6ea3c . live .
20. News: April 12, 2024 . (LEAD) BOK to keep restrictive stance for longer period amid inflation woes . Yonhap News Agency.
21. News: April 15, 2024 . Supreme Court rejects suit to nullify 2022 Gyeonggi governor election . Yonhap News Agency.
22. News: April 30, 2024 . Underwhelming 1st meeting . The Korea Times.
23. Web site: May 2, 2024 . Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats .
24. News: May 15, 2024 . President Yoon makes first apology for the First Lady's actions . The Chosun Daily.
25. News: May 21, 2024 . (LEAD) AI Seoul Summit adopts declaration on safe, innovative, inclusive AI . Yonhap News Agency.
26. Web site: South Korea announces $19 bln support package for chip industry. 2024-05-22. Reuters.
27. Web site: North Korea drops trash balloons on the South . 2024-05-30. BBC.
28. Web site: 2024-06-04 . South Korea is suspending a military deal with North Korea after tensions over trash balloons . 2024-06-04 . AP News . en.
29. Web site: 2024-06-05 . US flies B-1B bomber for first precision bomb drill in 7 years as tensions simmer with North Korea . 2024-06-06 . AP News . en.
30. Web site: 2024-06-06 . South Korean group flies propaganda leaflets across border following North's trash-balloon launches . 2024-06-07 . AP News . en.
31. Web site: 2024-06-07 . Workers at Samsung Electronics walk out for the first time ever . 2024-06-07 . CNN . en.
32. Web site: 2024-06-09 . South Korea to resume loudspeaker broadcasts over border in balloon row . 2024-06-09 . BBC . en.
33. Web site: 2024-06-11 . Warning shots from South as NK soldiers cross border . 2024-06-11 . BBC . en.
34. Web site: 300건 육박한 부안 지진 피해…보상은 어떻게 이뤄질까. Yonhap News Agency. ko. 13 June 2024. 13 June 2024.
35. Web site: 2024-06-18 . South Korean military says N Korean soldiers cross border, mines explode . 2024-06-18 . Al Jazeera . en.
36. Web site: June 19, 2024 . Yoon declares 'demographic national emergency,' vows all-out efforts to tackle low birth rate .
37. Web site: 2024-06-21 . South Korea fires warning shots as North Korean soldiers cross border again. 2024-06-21 . Al Jazeera . en.
38. Web site: 2024-06-25 . South Korean investigators search in factory ruins after fire killed 23, mostly Chinese migrants . 2024-06-25 . Associated Press . en.
39. Web site: 1 July 2024 . (2nd LD) 9 dead, 4 injured as car plows into pedestrians in central Seoul . 1 July 2024 . . en.
40. Web site: 7 July 2024 . Kimchi blamed for mass sickness in South Korea . 5 July 2024 . BBC . en.
41. Web site: 5 July 2024 . Man who stabbed South Korea's opposition leader sentenced to 15 years in prison . 5 July 2024 . Associated Press . en.
42. Web site: 8 July 2024 . South Korea Samsung workers start strike: union chief . 8 July 2024 . France 24 . en.
43. Web site: 10 July 2024 . South Korea Samsung union declares 'indefinite' strike . 10 July 2024 . France 24 . en.
44. Web site: 8 July 2024 . South Korea abandons plan to suspend licenses of striking doctors to resolve medical impasse . 8 July 2024 . Associated Press . en.
45. Web site: 16 July 2024 . North Korean diplomat in Cuba defected to South Korea in November, Seoul says . 16 July 2024 . Associated Press . en.
46. Web site: 17 July 2024 . Former CIA official charged with being secret agent for South Korean intelligence . 17 July 2024 . Associated Press . en.
47. Web site: 18 July 2024 . South Korea court recognises rights of same-sex couples . 18 July 2024 . France 24 . en.
48. Web site: 23 July 2024 . South Korean tech giant Kakao's founder arrested in stock price manipulation case . 23 July 2024 . Associated Press . en.
49. Web site: 31 July 2024 . South Korean military intel official arrested for allegedly leaking secrets, reportedly on spies . 31 July 2024 . Associated Press . en.
50. Web site: 20 August 2024 . North Korean soldier defects to South Korea: Report . 20 August 2024 . . en.
51. Web site: South Korea Public Holidays 2024. 30 October 2023 . Public Holidays Global.
52. Web site: South Korea Public Holidays 2024. January 15, 2024 . Public Holidays Global.
53. Web site: 남자배구 전 국가대표 공격수 최홍석, 35세 일기로 별세 . 2024-01-19 . TV.
54. Web site: 오 . 보람 . 2024-01-19 . '피막' '물레야 물레야' 연출한 거장 이두용 감독 별세(종합) . 2024-01-19 . . ko.
55. Web site: 60·70년대 영화 스타 남궁원씨 별세...홍정욱 前의원 부친 . Namgoong Won, a movie star in the 60s and 70s, passes away...father of former lawmaker Hong Jeong-wook. Oh . Yu-jin . . 5 February 2024 . ko . 18 February 2024.
56. Web site: Ex-PM Ro Jai-bong dies at 88 . 2024-04-25 . . 24 April 2024 . en.