• 1959

    • - Korea Art Critics Society was organized.
    • - Jejak Art Coterie Exhibition
    • - American Modern Print Art Exhibition
    • - Cartoonist Kim San-ho published the sci-fi cartoon Raifai.
    • - Homecoming Exhibition of Kim Whan-ki

    • - The Anti-Communist Youth League was organized.
    • - Discontinuance of the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper
    • - Ground-breaking ceremony for the nuclear reactor
    • - Hangang River reached flood levels due to Typhoon Sarah.

    • - Barbie dolls were introduced to the market.

  • 1958

    • - Korean Modern Art exhibition in New York
    • - Singihoe Exhibition
    • - 1st Exhibition of the Korea Print Artists Association
    • - Mokwoohoe Exhibition
    • - Cartoonist Kim Seong-hwan was indicted for Gobau and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
    • - Samhwa Printing Co., Ltd. started color separation.
    • - Leaders of the Progressive Party were indicted and detained.
    • - The fourth election of the House of Representatives
    • - Daylight Saving Time was introduced.
    • - Illegal passage of bills of the National Security Law on December 24
    • - Public open of the Garden of Changdeokgung Palace & Jongmyo Shrine
    • - Ham Seok-heon was imprisoned for writing Only Thinking People Survive (August issue of magazine Sasanggye).
    • - Wongaksa Folk Theater opened.
    • - Daehan Cinema opened.

    • - Charles de Gaulle was elected as the President of France.

  • 1957

    • - 1st Invitational Exhibition of Modern Artists
    • - 1st Exhibition of the Modern Arts Association
    • - 1st Exhibition of the Modern Artists Association Exhibition
    • - 1st Exhibition of the Creative Artists Association
    • - 1st Exhibition of the New Formative Group
    • - 1st Baekyanghoe Exhibition
    • - Exhibition to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Go Hui-dong’s art career, the painter who introduced western style painting to Korea
    • - Foundation of the Korea Arts Education Association
    • - Kim Whan-ki held an exhibition titled Dobuljeon after his trip to France.
    • - The eldest son of South Korean politician Lee Ki-poong was adopted by President Lee.
    • - Establishment of the Children’s Charter
    • - Arrest of a North Korean spy Kim Jeong-je
    • - Establishment of the Kwanhun Club (national press club)
    • - Opening of Myeongbo Cinema

  • 1956

    • - Korea Artists Association Exhibition
    • - Death of Lee Jung-seob
    • - Launching of the art magazine Sinmisul (New Art)
    • - Ancient Art Object Exhibition
    • - 1st exhibition of the Korean Contemporary Watercolor Association
    • - Daehan Art Association boycotted the “Gukjeon,” the National Art Exhibition, which initiated the crisis of the National Art Exhibition.
    • - Establishment of the Association of Korean Art Critics
    • - The Korea Exchange held its opening ceremony.
    • - Death of Shin Ik-hee, a resistance activist and politician
      • On June 16, 1st TV broadcasting was launched.
    • - Election of the 3rd President and Vice President
    • - Proclaimation of the martial law across Korea
    • - Vice President Jang Myun was attacked.

    • - Nationalization of the Suez Canal of Egypt

  • 1955

    • - Internal conflicts in the Daehan Art Association
    • - Foundation of the Korea Artists Association
    • - Establishment of the Crafts Artists coterie
    • - Cartoonist Kim Seong-hwan published the Gobau comic strip.
    • - 1st International Children Art Exhibition
    • - National Art Exhibition created awards in architecture.
    • - Baekwoohoe Group Exhibition
    • - Painter Chun Kyung-Ja received the President’s Award at the Daehan Art Association Exhibition.
    • - Subversive documents affair the National Assembly.
    • - Unlicensed constructions in Seoul were removed.
    • - First sex change from male to female in Korea (Red Cross Hospital)
    • - A crackdown on the prostitution across Korea.
    • - Launching of Magazine Contemporary Literature Hyundae Munhak
    • - Launching of the affiliated training institute to the National Gugak (Korean Traditional Music) Center
    • - The National Institute of Korean History started to publish the 500-book series of Annals of the Choson Dynasty.

  • 1954

    • - Posthumous exhibition of Kim Jung-hyeon, Gu Bon-woong and Lee In-sung
    • - Commemorative art exhibition of the 4th anniversary of the Korean War
    • - Paper warfare between Priest Yoon Hyung-jung and scultor Yoon Hyo-jung. The priest claimed that The Cross by Yoon Hyo-jung insulted Christianity.
    • - 1st art exhibition of Hongik University’s College of Arts
    • - Controversy over Madam Freedom, a novel by Jang Bi-seok
    • - Korea Standard Time was adopted.
    • - Kim Sung-ju, who made unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Rhee Syngman, was killed during torture at provost marshal headquarters.
    • - Constitutional amendment trough “rounding off” for Rhee’s reelection
    • - Establishment of the Korea Film Production Association
    • - Establishment of PEN International Korean Centre.
    • - Boiled dog meat soup (Boshintang) was banned in Seoul.

    • - Paris Peace Accords, Geneva Conventions

  • 1953

    • - 1st invitational exhibition of Contemporary Artists
    • - 1st Tobyeok Art Coterie Exhibition
    • - 2nd Korea Art Exhibition
    • - Death of Gu Bon-woong and Oh Se-chang, two artists who fought for national liberation.
    • - A passenger ship for the Yeosu-Busan line sunk.
    • - Currency reform. Distribution of Hwan (the currency of Korea from 1953 to 1962).
    • - Truce conference concluded.
    • - CBS, Korea’s first private broadcasting network launched its radio station.
    • - Promulgation of registration law of cultural professionals
    • - American singer Marian Anderson visited Korea.

    • - Death of Stalin
    • - Discovery of the structure of DNA

  • 1952

    • - Inaugural exhibition of the Photo Artists Society of Korea
    • - Commemorative Exhibition for the March 1 National Independence Movement
    • - Military Painters’ Exhibition
    • - The 1st Gijo art coterie exhibition
    • - Nasang(Nude Statue) by Kim Jong-young received an award at London
    • - International Sculpture Competition
    • - Declaration of Maritime Sovereignty known as the Peace Line
    • - Riots at the concentration camp in Geojedo Island
    • - Direct presidential election for the 2nd President and Vice President
    • - The then President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower visited Korea.
    • - Songs by artists who defected to North Korea were banned.

  • 1951

    • - Defeated to South Korea Lee Jung-seob, Yoon Jung-sik, Chang Lee-seok, Choi Young-rim, Hwang Yoo-yup, Park Hang-sub and Hwang Yong-yop.
    • - Ministry of Defense formed a group of military painters.
    • - Wartime Arts Exhibition was held.
    • - War Documentary Art Exhibition was held.
    • - Sculptor Kim Kyeong-seung commissioned the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin in Busan.
    • - Cartoonist Kim Sung-Hwan serially published Kkeokkuri & Jandarigun in the magazine Hakwon.
    • - January 4 Retreat in the Korean War
    • - The Geochang Massacre
    • - Muderer Lee Gyu-tae who killed 90 people, was arrested.
    • - Korea Newspaper Association(KNA) was founded.

    • - Winston Churchill’s Conservative Party won the federal election in Britain.

  • 1950

    • - Arts Society was organized.
    • - 1950 Art Association was founded.
    • - Defected to North Korea Kim Yong-jun, Choi Jae-deok, Lee Kwae-dae, Kim Man-hyeong, Bae Un-seong and Lee Seok-ho.
    • - Temporary headquarters of the national museum was set up in Busan.
    • - Death of painter Lee In-sung
    • - Launching of the Higher Civil Service Examination
    • - 1st bill for constitutional amendment to impose parliamentary cabinet system was voted down.
    • - The 2nd parliamentary election and the opening session of the 2nd National Assembly on June 19.
    • - Outbreak of the Korean War Korean army recaptured Seoul.
    • - Participation of Chinese communist army in Korean War
    • - Ham Kee-yong won the Boston Marathon.
    • - Opening of the National Theater of Korea

    • - Introduction of credit card system
    • - Rashomon by Kurosawa Akira
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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.

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