• 1989

    • - Gyeganmisul (quarterly) changed its name to Wolganmisul (monthly)
    • - Four Landscape Painters (Ho-Am Gallery)
    • - 1st ACT Exhibition (Gallery Dongduk)
    • - Hangang River Water Drawing by Jeon Soocheon
    • - Lee Jung-seob Art Prize and Sukjoo Art Prize were established.
    • - Shin Hak-chul was imprisoned for violation of National Security Law due to his work Rice Planting.
    • - Lee Ung-no and Ha In-doo died.
    • - Association of Western Art History, Research Society for Art Criticism and the Post Artists Association were established.

    • - Daejeon’s classification was upgraded to Jikhalsi (Directly Controlled Municipality)
    • - Lim Su-kyung and Representative Seo Gyeongwon went to North Korea without permission.
    • - Pastor Moon Ik-hwan visited Pyeongyang.
    • - The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union was established.
    • - Writer Yi Mun-yol published All That Falls Has Wings.
    • - Kim Woo-choong, chairperson of Daewoo Group, published The World Is Big and There’s Lots to Do.
    • - Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East by Director Bae Yong-kyun, Swallowtail by Kim Heung-kook, Okgyeong-i by Tae Jin-ah

  • 1988

    • - 1st issues of Gana Art, Hyundae Misul (Modern Art) and Wolgan Gongye (Monthly Crafts) were published.
    • - The Seoul Museum of Art opened.
    • - New York Modern Art Exhibition (Ho-Am Gallery, Hyundae Hwarang)
    • - The lifting of the banned works by artists who defected to North Korea (Kim Yong-jun, Kim Ju-kyeong, Gil Jin-seob, Lee Qoede, etc.)
    • - UAO Exhibition by MUSEUM
    • - New Wave of Photography curated by Koo Bonchang (Walker Hill Art Center)
    • - Korean Peninsula Sees the US (Gallery Min)
    • - Roh Tae-woo was inaugurated as the 13th President.
    • - The National Assembly conducted a hearing to investigate corruption and Gwangju matters during the Fifth Republic.
    • - Chun Doo-hwan decided to seclude himself in Baekdamsa temple.
    • - The Seoul Olympics were held.
    • - Newspapers the Hankyoreh and the Kukmin Ilbo were founded.
    • - Man in Sinsa-dong by Joo Hyun-mi

    • - Truce agreement between Iran and Iraq
    • - George H. W. Bush became the US president.

  • 1987

    • - 1st exhibition of MUSEUM and 1st Sea Art Festival (Haeundae Beach, Busan)
    • - The Kim Se-Choong Sculpture Prize was established (Winner: Sim Moon-sub)
    • - Representative Figurative Artwork in the 1980s
    • - Hongik University created Department of Science of Art.
    • - President Lee-Il of the Korea Art Critics Association expelled five art critics who spoke out in support of Minjung Art : Kim Yun-su, Sung Wan-kyeong, Won Dong-seok, Yu Hong-jun and Yun Beom-mo.
    • - Mass suicide at the Odaeyang Factory
    • - Kim Man-cheol’s family defected to South Korea.
    • - The torture and death of Park Jong-chul ignited the June 10 Democratic Uprising.
    • - Death of Lee Han-yeol during demonstration
    • - Roh Tae-woo won the presidential election.
    • - Korean Air Flight 858 Bombing and criminal Kim Hyon-hui
    • - The construction of the Peace Dam started.

    • - Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Soviet Union

  • 1986

    • - The Olympic highway was opened
    • - Seoul Asian Games
    • - Female activist was sexually tortured by Police at Bucheon police station
    • - 66-hour demonstration at Konkuk University
    • - Lee Hyun-se’s cartoon A Dauntless Team was filmed.
    • - Choi Eun-hee and Shin Sang-ok escaped from North Korea.

    • - Out of Africa by Sydney Pollack
    • - US Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

  • 1985

    • - Ho-Am Gallery hosted exhibitions: 70 Years of Korean Western Paintings, Park Rae-hyun Retrospective, Korea Contemporary Print: Yesterday and Today
    • - 1st Nanjido Exhibition at Kwanhoon Gallery
    • - 1st Metavox Exhibition at Hu Gallery
    • - Commemorative exhibition of the 20th anniversary of Park Soo geun’s Death at Hyundae Hwarang
    • - Korea Art: The Power of the Twenties Exhibition: confiscated artwork and remitted artists to a summary trial.
    • - Serial cancellations of venue rental for exhibitions : Imsulnyeon, Minjungsidae Painting Exhibition, and Blue Flag Exhibition.
    • - Council of Korean People’s Art (Minmihyup) was organized.
    • - Painters Park Saeng-kwang and Choe Yong-rim died.
    • - Dissolution of the Gukje Group
    • - 1st IVF baby was born in Korea.
    • - Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 3 and 4 started operation.
    • - 1st issue of monthly magazine Mal (Word)
    • - Declaration of Freedom of Creation and Expression by 410 writers

    • - General Secretary Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev announced a policy of easing of tension between the East and West and peaceful coexistence.

  • 1984

    • - Good Morning, Mr. Orwell by Nam June Paik
    • - Opening of Ho-Am Gallery
    • - Opening of Walker Hill Art Center
    • - Korea Modern Art Exhibition in the 1960s Exhibition
    • - Dureong Exhibition
    • - Establishment of Seoul Art Community
    • - 5,000 Years of Korean Arts Exhibition tours in Europe
    • - 1st issue of monthly magazine Misulsegye
    • - 88 Olympic Expressway (Gwangju-Daegu)
    • - Korea ranked 10th in the Los Angeles Olympics.
    • - Completion of Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 2
    • - Whale Hunting by Bae Chang-ho, Eoudong by Lee Jang-ho and Dear J by Lee Sun-hee
    • - Pope John Paul II visited Korea.

    • - Sino-British Joint Declaration
    • - US President Ronald Reagan visited China.

  • 1983

    • - Zeitgeist Korea Exhibition at the Third Art Museum.
    • - Contemporary German Art Exhibition was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Germany.
    • - AUDIO & VIDEO Exhibition of Park Hyun-ki (Su Gallery)
    • - 1st Exhibition of Silcheon (Practice) Group
    • - International Contemporary Ink Painting League Exhibition
    • - North Korean solider Captain Lee Woong-pyeong defected to South Korea by flying a MIG 19 jet fighter.
    • - The Rangoon bombing, an assassination attempt against Chun Doo-hwan, the fifth president of South Korea, orchestrated by North Korea
    • - Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down.
    • - The Korea Republic national under-20 football team won fourth place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
    • - KBS broadcasted a live TV program to help separated families from North and South Korea meet.
    • - Singer Jeong Su-ra released Ah! Republic of Korea, novelist Jo Jung-Rae released Taebaek Mountain Range and cartoonist Lee Hyun-se released A Dauntless Team.

    • - 1st IVF baby was born in Melbourne.

  • 1982

    • - Opening of the Ho-Am Art Museum
    • - The Korean Association of Art Critics was founded and 1st issue of Art Criticism
    • - Controversy erupts over Japanese vestiges: Nine art critics and art historians contributed a related article to the Spring issue of Gyeganmisul.
    • - Foundation of art coteries: Dureong, Imsulnyeon Korean National Fine Art Competition was established.
    • - 424 Experiments Exhibition
    • - Middle and high school uniforms were abolished.
    • - The curfew was lifted.
    • - A fire accident occurred in the American Council in Busan.
    • - The Yi Chol-hui and Jang Yeong-ja note fraud incident (also known as the Lee-Chang scandal)
    • - Pager service started.
    • - The film Madame Aema was allowed for late-night showing for 1st time.
    • - Neon signs were partially allowed.

  • 1981

    • - Discontinuance of the National Art Exhibition
    • - Exhibition of Korean Contemporary Ink Paintings and the controversy over the ink painting movement
    • - Today’s 81 Traditional Paintings Exhibition
    • - Kim Jang-sub won 1st Suk-Nam Art Prize.
    • - 1st Young Artists Exhibition
    • - 1st TARA Exhibition
    • - The Central Intelligence Agency changed its name to the Agency for National Security Planning.
    • - Chun Doo-hwan was inaugurated as the 12th president.
    • - The Fifth Republic began.
    • - The governmental hosted the Festival Gukpung 81 in Yeouido.
    • - Lee Yun-sang was kidnapped and killed by his teacher Ju Young-hyung.
    • - Singer Yoon Suil released the song Apartment
    • - 1st issue of children cartoon magazine Bomulsum (Treasure Island)
    • - Seoul was decided as the host city of 1988 Olympics and 1986 Asian Games.

  • 1980

    • - Retrospectives of Kim Chong-yung and Kim Ki-chang
    • - 1st Exhibition of Today’s Artists
    • - 1st Exhibition of Seoul 80 at the Gonggan Art Museum
    • - 1st Exhibition of Hyungsilgwa-baleon (Reality and Utterance) was held at the Dongsangbang Gallery due to a cancellation by the ARKO Art Center.
    • - Outdoor exhibition of Gwangju Association of Liberal Artists
    • - Nine New Asian Painters Exhibition was hosted by Gyeganmisul
    • - Korea Arts and Culture Education Service took over the management of the National Art Exhibition. Its awards system changed.
    • - The May 18 Democratic Uprising
    • - Chun Doo-hwan was inaugurated as the 11th President
    • - Color TV was introduced to the market.
    • - The film Forgive Me Once Again Despite Hatred ‘80 was a box office hit.
    • - Pop singer Cho Yong-pil found success with his songs The Lady Outside the Window and Short Hair.
    • - The Ministry of Culture and Information canceled the licenses of 617 publishing companies.

    • - The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
    • - Severance of diplomatic relations between the US and Iran
  •               Arts
  •           Social and cultural events
  •        Abroad

This content was originally published in Korean in the special feature of Wolganmisool Vol. 367 (August 2015) and with their Kind permission is translated and published by KAMS.

Recently Search Word