Today in Korean history Date: 04-Sep-23

1966 — The first contingent of the “White Horse” division lands in South Vietnam, becoming the first South Korean military unit to take part in the Vietnam War.

1973 — The first subway line in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, opens for service.

1985 — North Korean official Ho Dam, serving as an emissary, secretly visits Seoul and meets with then-President Chun Doo-hwan.

1999 — South Korea’s Mugunghwa 3 broadcasting satellite, named after Korea’s national flower, the rose of Sharon, is launched from French Guiana in South America. Korea previously sent the Mugunghwa 1 into orbit in 1995 and launched the Mugunghwa 2 the following year.

In August 2006, the Mugunghwa 5 was sent into orbit to take over for the Mugunghwa 2. The latest satellite is the first of its kind in South Korea to provide communications services for private companies, as well as military operations.

2004 — Kim Yu-na takes the championship at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating, becoming her country’s first figure skater to win an international title. Kim finished first with a total of 148.55 points in the International Skating Union-organized competition in Budapest, Hungary, well ahead of the runner-up, Aki Sawada, of Japan, who received 136.16 points.

2016 — North Korea fires three midrange Rodong ballistic missiles from the vicinity of Hwangju in North Hwanghae Province. They flew about 1,000 kilometers and landed in waters some 400 km off the coast in the East Sea.

2018 — A special delegation of President Moon Jae-in meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in an effort to make arrangements for what would be the third inter-Korean summit.

Source: Yonhap News Agency