• 2009

    • - The iPhone was launched in Korea.
    • - Archbishop of Seoul Kim Sou-hwan died.
    • - Former President Roh Moo-hyun died.
    • - Former President Kim Dae-jung died.
    • - The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project was implemented.
    • - 50,000-won bills were issued.
    • - Controversy over Minerva

    • - Michael Jackson died.
    • - Barack Obama was inaugurated as the President of the Unites States.

  • 2008

    • - Blue Dot Asia
    • - Nam June Paik Art Center opened.
    • - The 25th anniversary of the Gana Art Gallery
    • - Korean galleries opened in Beijing, China.
    • - 1st ASIAF was held in the former Seoul Station building.
    • - Gwangju and Busan Biennales
    • - Controversy over taxation on capital gains from the transfer of artwork
    • - Cameron Jamie won the inaugural Yanghyun Prize, 1st international art award in Korea.
    • - The Seoul Auction was first in Korea to record approximately KRW24.7 billion in total sales at overseas auctions.
    • - An arsonist set fire to Namdaemun Gate.
    • - Yi So-yeon became 1st Korean to fly in space.
    • - Cleanup of oil spill in Taean-gun
    • - The Lee Myung-bak administration took power.
    • - Protests occur against US beef imports after mad cow disease was detected in US beef cattle.
    • - Choi Jin-sil and other entertainers committed suicide.

    • - Lehman Brothers went bankrupt.
    • - Beijing Olympic Games
    • - Strong earthquake in Sichuan

  • 2007

    • - Kim Hong-hee was appointed as Director of Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art.
    • - Over 5 million people visited the National Museum of Korea since its opening
    • - Lee Ungno Museum opened in Daejeon.
    • - 25th anniversary of Kukje Gallery
    • - Scandal of Shin Jeong-ah’s forged academic credentials.
    • - Woljeon Museum of Art Icheon opened.
    • - Korean Art Museum Curators Association was established.
    • - Sangsangmadang opened.
    • - Park Soo-geun’s Washerwomen by the Stream was sold at auction for KRW4.52 billion, the highest transaction for a piece of Korean artwork. Debate over the authenticity of the painting.
    • - The second inter-Korean summit was held.
    • - Lee Myung-bak was elected as the President.
    • - A large oil spill in Taean-gun from an oil tanker
    • - 880,000 Won Generation by Woo Seok-hoon and Park Kwon-il
    • - Twenty-three South Korean missionaries were captured in Afghanistan and held hostage by members of the Taliban.
    • - Lies by Big Bang, Tell me by Wonder Girls
    • - Controversy that the film D-War produced by Shim Hyung-rae

    • - Launching of iPhone

  • 2006

    • - MMCA adopted the executive agency system
    • - The Gwangju, Busan, Seoul and Daegu Biennales
    • - Park Yiso (Rodin Gallery)
    • - 30th Anniversary of Wolganmisul
    • - 20th anniversary of MMCA Gwacheon
    • - Here and Now: Kim Soo Geun Exhibition to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death
    • - Spring by Claes Oldenburg was unveiled next to the Cheonggyecheon Stream.
    • - The Nanji Residency Open Studio opened.
    • - Nam June Paik
    • - Jejudo Island became a Special Self-Governing Province.
    • - Ban Ki-moon was elected as the Secretary General of the UN.
    • - Cheonggyecheon Stream was restored.
    • - Busan APEC was held.
    • - Films King and the Clown and Monster each attracted more than 10 million viewers.
    • - Scandal of of “Bada-iyagi” gambling game business of video slot machine.

  • 2005

    • - The sinking of the Sewol ferry
    • - Yoo Byung-eun died.
    • - The Unified Progressive Party was dispersed by the Constitutional Court
    • - Pope Francis visited Korea.
    • - DaumKakao was established.
    • - The nut rage incident related to the former vice president of Korean Air.

  • 2004

    • - Gwangju Biennale, Busan Biennale & exhibition of Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Nicolas Poussin, Henri Matisse.
    • - 21st General Assembly of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) were held in Seoul.
    • - Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, opened.
    • - Controversy over National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s role as the executive agency.
    • - Launching of MMCA Residency Goyang
    • - Park Yiso died.
    • - National Assembly impeached President Roh Moo-hyun, which had a significant impact on the 17th general election.
    • - The Zaytun Division of the Korean army was deployed to Iraq.
    • - South Korean interpreter Kim Sun-il was kidnapped and murdered in Iraq.
    • - The nostalgia-evoking 7080 Concert was successful.
    • - Movies Silmido and Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War each attracted over 10 million viewers to the box office.

    • - Thailand was hit by a tsunami.
    • - Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook.

  • 2003

    • - Overseas exchange exhibitions increased.
    • - Crossover among various artistic genres and paintings
    • - General income tax law that would impose capital gains tax on artwork was proposed to the National Assembly but rejected, putting an end to a 13-year struggle.
    • - The Gongju National Museum recovered four stolen cultural assets, including “Standing Gilt-bronze Bodhisattva from Uidang-myeon,” in Gongju, Korea.
    • - Daegu subway fire killed 192 people.
    • - Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-hun committed suicide after he was indicted for doctoring company books to hide the
    • - secret money transfers to North Korea.
    • - President Roh took office. He asked for a public vote on the continuance of his term in office.
    • - Conflicts between conservatives and progressives worsened.
    • - Lee Seung-yuop set the Asian home run record of 56 homers in a season.

    • - An outbreak of the infectious disease known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was widespread.

  • 2002

    • - International biennales
    • - Exhibitions to celebrate the World Cup: Korea-Japan Contemporary Art Exhibition (MMCA), 11&11 Exhibition (Sungkok Art Museum) and Babel 2002 Exhibition (MMCA)
    • - Photography exhibitions increased.
    • - Opening of Kim Heungsoo Art Museum, Park Soo-geun Art Museum, Lee Jung Seob Museum and Kim Chong Yung Museum
    • Launching of MMCA Residency Changdong
    • - Roh Moo-hyun won the 16th presidential election.
    • - Korea reached the semifinal stage in the 2002 World Cup. Guus Hiddink became a national hero.
    • - North Korea renewed nuclear activity North Korean vessels attacked two South Korean patrol ships and inter-Korean
    • - relations substantially deteriorated.
    • - The number of subscribers for high-speed internet reached 10 million.
    • - Online lottery was launched.

  • 2001

    • - World Ceramic Exposition 2001 Korea attracted 6 million visitors.
    • - 2001 Cheongju International Craft Biennale
    • - Chinese contemporary art was introduced. Wang Du: Disposable Reality (Rodin Gallery), China Contemporary Art Exhibition (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), Five Chinese Avant-Garde Artists (Gallery Artside)
    • - Jeong Seon’s Pine & Mushroom sold at auction for KRW700 million, the highest ever paid in Korea.
    • - Park Soo-geun’s A Woman Sitting on
    • - the Surface sold at auction for KRW460 million.
    • - The incident involving art teacher Kim Ingyu caused controversy over freedom of expression.
    • - Kim Ki-chang, Hwang Chang-bae, Jang Bal, Kim In-seung and Lee Se-duk died.
    • - Film Friend
    • - South Korea paid off the last of its debt to the IMF.
    • - Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-yung died.
    • - The National Human Rights Commission was established.
    • - At the Winter Olympics, short-track speed skater Kim Dong-sung was disqualified for blocking Apolo Ohno during the 1500-meter race and lost his medal due to the controversy that ensued.

    • - The September 11 terrorist attacks

  • 2000

    • - Media City Seoul 2000
    • - The World of Nam June Paik (Ho-Am Gallery)
    • - Impressionists and Modern Art from Orsay Museum (Deoksugung National Museum of Contemporary Art)
    • - Internet art business flourished
    • - Curator certification was introduced.
    • - Controversy over general income tax on artwork
    • - 1st Hermes Korea Art Award
    • - Inter-Korean Summit
    • - President Kim Dae-jung won the Nobel Peace Prize.
    • - The Ministry of Culture and Tourism designated the year 2000 as the “Year of New Arts”
    • - Seo Taiji returned to Korea and released a new album. Jo Sung-mo became widely popular.

    • - The “Korean Wave” hit China.
  •               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