• 1949

    • - 1st National Fine Arts Exhibition was held.
    • - Daehan Art Association Exhibition and the 1st Nokmihoe Group(Alumni of Ehwa Women’s University) Exhibition were held.
    • - Department of Fine Arts was established at Hongik University.

    • - Assassination of Kim Koo Abolishment bill of the Special Committee for Prosecution of Anti-National Offenders and its affiliated special court was approved by the National Assembly.
    • - Establishment of the Korean Air Force
    • - The Student National Defense Corps was organized.
    • - Cost of a cup of coffee was KRW100-150.
    • - National census of the population was taken.
    • - Discontinuance of magazines Jokwang and Gaebyeok

    • - Establishment of the People’s Republic of China
    • - Division of Germany
    • - 1984 by George Orwell

  • 1948

    • - The Joseon Art Association changed its name to the Daehan Art Association.
    • - Foundation and exhibition of the New Realism Group
    • - The 2nd North Joseon Arts Exhibition was held in Pyeongyang.
    • - History of Joseon Arts by Kim Yong-gi
    • - The Cartoon Coterie was organized.
    • - 1st Student Art Exhibition at Seoul National University
    • - Mandatory education started.
    • - 1st Constitution of Korea was enacted and Government Organization Act were promulgated.
    • - Elected were Rhee Syngman as the President and Yi Si-yeong as the Vice President by the National Assembly.
    • - Establishment of the Republic of Korea government
    • - Civil rebellion raised in Yeosu and Suncheon.
      • South Korea participated in the London Olympics.
    • - Establishment of the State of Israel
    • - Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
    • - The OECD was established as OEEC.

  • 1947

    • - Foundation & exhibition of the Joseon Arts and Culture Association.
    • - Pyeongyang Arts College was established.
    • - Exhibition of the Hwangwoohoe art coterie was held.
    • - 1st exhibition of Salon des Independants
      • Established were Joseon Arts Institute, Joseon Arts Research Institute and Namsan Arts Research Institute.
    • - 1st joint exhibition of Kim Ki-chang and Park Rae-hyun.
    • - Launching of the citizen ID card system
    • - General strike for 24 hours across South Korea
    • - Assassination of Yeo Un-hyeong and Jang Deok-su who fought for national liberation.
    • - The UN General Assembly decided to hold a general election in Korea.
    • - Suh Yun-bok won the 51st Boston Marathon.
    • - The population of Seoul exceeded 1.6 million.

  • 1946

    • - Founded were the Association of Independent Artists, Joseon Artists’ Alliance, Joseon Sculptors’ Association, Joseon Craftsmen Association, Joseon Commercial Artists Association and Joseon Industrial Artists’ Association.
    • - Fine arts departments were open at Seoul National University, Chosun University, Ewha Womans University and Gyeongju University for Arts.
    • - 2nd Joseon Crafts & Art Competition was held at Deoksugung Palace.
    • - Opening of the Gyeongbokgung Palace National Museum
    • - The Emergency National Council was organized to raise objection against the trusteeship of Korea.
    • - A ceremony to celebrate the March 1 Liberation Movement was held separately by the right wing and the left wing.
    • - 1st exams to apply for junior colleges and universities were conducted after national liberation.
    • - The Workers’ Party of South Korea(Namrodang) was organized.
    • - The government called for reports on artwork stolen by Japanese colonizers.
    • - A football game between Gyeongsung(Seoul) and Pyeongyang was held.
    • - Joseon Linguistic Academy (Lee Hee-seung)
    • - The charge of public bathhouses was KRW10. Tobacco/cigarette rationing system started. An order for the prohibition of brewing was issued.

  • 1945

    • - Joseon Proletarian Arts Alliance was established.
    • - Korea Arts Association was created.
    • - Grand Celebration for National Liberation was held at Deoksugung Palace.
    • - Dangu Art Academy was established.
    • - Joseon Industrial Artists Association was organized.
    • - Conky by Kim Yong-hwan was published.
    • - School classes were suspended for one year.
    • - National Labor Mobilization Ordinance was issued by the government.
    • - Atomic bombings of Hiroshima Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule.
    • - The Korean Establishment Preparation Board was launched in Seoul.
    • - General MacArthur announced the launch of the MacArthur Military Administration in South Korea.
    • - The name of the capital was changed from Gyeongseong to Seoul.
    • - The Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers of the US, UK and Soviet Union was held. A four-power trusteeship of up to five years was agreed upon.
    • - The Chosun Ilbo and Donga Ilbo newspapers started to be reissued.
    • - The Monopoly Bureau (currently Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation) was established.
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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.