2025 in South Korea

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The following lists events in the year 2025 in South Korea.

Incumbents

Further information: South Korean order of precedence

Office	Image	Name	Assumed office / Current length
President of the Republic of Korea		Yoon Suk Yeol	10 May 2022 (2 years ago) (2022-05-10) (Powers and duties suspended since 14 December 2024)
		Choi Sang-mok	27 December 2024 (2 months ago) (2024-12-27) (Acting President)
Speaker of the National Assembly		Woo Won-shik	5 June 2024 (9 months ago) (2024-06-05)
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court		Cho Hee-dae	8 December 2023 (15 months ago) (2023-12-08)
President of the Constitutional Court		Moon Hyungbae (Acting)	18 October 2024 (4 months ago) (2024-10-18)
Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea		Han Duck-soo	21 May 2022 (2 years ago) (2022-05-21) (suspended since 27 December)
		Choi Sang-mok	27 December 2024 (2 months ago) (2024-12-27) (Acting Prime Minister)

Events

January

• 1 January – A day after Acting President Choi Sang-mok appointed two justices to the Constitutional Court, the chiefs of Office of the President, the policy office, the Office of National Security, the special adviser for foreign affairs and security, and the senior secretary express their intentions to resign to Choi. ^[1]
• 3 January – Yoon Suk Yeol residence standoff : Investigators face a standoff with the Presidential Security Service outside the presidential residence after failing to execute a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for his failed martial law attempt. ^[2]
• 4 January – A fishing boat sinks after hitting rocks off the coast of Gageodo, killing three people on board. ^[3]
• 8 January – Former Democratic Party of Korea leader Song Young-gil is sentenced to two years' imprisonment for accepting illegal political funding from seven businesspeople. ^[4]
• 10 January – Park Chong-jun resigns as head of the Presidential Security Service amid an investigation into the agency's role in obstructing President Yoon's arrest on 3 January. ^[5]
• 14 January –
  • At least 43 vehicles figure in a pileup caused by icy conditions along the Seoul-Munsan Expressway near Goyang, injuring nine people. ^[6]
  • The first formal hearings into the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol are held by the Constitutional Court of Korea. ^[7]
• 15 January – Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol : Yoon Suk Yeol becomes the first sitting president of South Korea to be arrested following his imposition of martial law in December. ^[8]
• 17 January – South Korea opens an embassy in Cuba for the first time. ^[9]
• 18 January – 2025 Seoul Western District Court riot : Supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol storm the Seoul Western District Court after the latter extends his detention. ^[10]
• 21 January – A civilian employee of the Korea Defense Intelligence Command is sentenced by a court-martial to 20 years' imprisonment for providing information on undercover South Korean military agents to a suspected Chinese agent in return for 400 million won. ^[11]
• 22 January – The government announces a reduction in subsidies to biomass enterprises and an end to supporting the construction of new biomass plants amid criticism over its impact on deforestation. ^[12]
• 23 January –
  • The Constitutional Court votes 4-4 to reject the impeachment of Korea Communications Commission chair Lee Jin-sook, who had been impeached by the National Assembly on 2 August 2024 for administrative abuses. ^[13]
  • Three people, including a Filipino-Canadian national, are arrested for processing and attempting to sell 61 kilograms of cocaine valued at 30 billion won ($24 million) from a warehouse in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, in what is described as the largest cocaine-related crime in South Korea. ^[14]
  • The National Bio Committee, an advisory committee directly under the President, is launched. ^[15]
• 26 January – Yoon Suk Yeol becomes the first sitting president of South Korea to be indicted following his imposition of martial law in December, with charges of insurrection and abuse of power being filed against him. ^[16]
• 28 January – Air Busan Flight 391 : An Airbus A321-200 operated by Air Busan catches fire before takeoff at Gimhae International Airport, resulting in seven injuries and the evacuation of all 176 people on board. ^[17]

February

• 1 February –
  • Two fishing vessels run aground off the coast of Jeju Island, killing two people and leaving two others missing. ^[18]
  • A fire breaks out at the National Hangeul Museum in Seoul, injuring one firefighter. No damage is recorded to the museum's collection. ^[19]
• 4 February – The Seoul High Court overturns the conviction of former Ulsan mayor Song Cheol-ho and former city police chief Hwang Un-ha for election interference over a conspiracy to engineer an investigation against a rival during the 2018 South Korean local elections. ^[20]
• 7–14 February – South Korea at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China: ^[21] South Korea concludes its participation at the competition with 16 gold medals. ^[22]
• 7 February – An magnitude 3.1 earthquake hits Yangseong-myeon, 22 kilometers northwest of Chungju, North Chungcheong Province. ^[23]
• 9 February – A fishing vessel sinks off the coast of Habaek Island near Yeosu, killing four people and leaving five others missing. ^[24]
• 10 February –
  • One person is killed in the explosion of an oil storage tank in Ulsan. ^[25]
  • An eight-year old girl is fatally stabbed at an elementary school in Daejeon, with a teacher confessing to the killing. ^[26]
• 12 February – A fishing vessel capsizes off the coast of Jeju Island, leaving five crew members missing. ^[27]
• 13 February – A fishing vessel catches fire off the coast of Buan County, leaving six crew members missing. ^[28]
• 14 February –
  • Footballer Hwang Ui-jo is sentenced to a one-year suspended prison sentence for secretly filming sexual encounters with three different women. ^[29]
  • Six people are killed in a fire at an under-construction resort in Busan. ^[30]
  • A man is arrested for attempting to storm the Chinese embassy in Seoul to carry out an attack. ^[31]
• 16 February – Actress Kim Sae-ron is found dead in her home in Seoul in what police rule to be a suicide. ^{[32] [33]}
• 17 February – The government suspends the local service of the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek, citing data collection concerns. ^[34]
• 19 February –
  • The first formal hearings into the impeachment of Han Duck-soo are held by the Constitutional Court of Korea. ^[35]
  • The Seoul High Court approves the retrial of Korean Central Intelligence Agency director Kim Jae-gyu, who was convicted and executed for the assassination of Park Chung Hee in 1979. ^[36]
  • Democratic Party MP Lee Sang-sik is issued with a 3-million won (US$2,084) fine by the Suwon District Court for making a false statement of his assets while campaigning for the 2024 South Korean legislative election. ^[37]
  • Four officials of the Moon Jae-in administration, namely former national security adviser and Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong; former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min, former National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon, and former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul are convicted and sentenced to suspended prison terms of up to ten months by the Seoul Central District Court over the forced repatriation of two North Korean fishermen who had killed 16 of their colleagues in the Sea of Japan in 2019. ^[38]
• 20 February – The criminal trial of Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law declaration begins in Seoul, making him the first incumbent president of South Korea to stand trial in a criminal case. ^[39]
• 25 February –
  • A bridge being built as part of the Seoul-Sejong City expressway collapses in Anseong, killing four workers. ^[40]
  • The Constitutional Court concludes its hearings into the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol. ^[41]
• 26 February –
  • A man is shot dead by police in Gwangju after stabbing an officer. ^[42]
  • Hyundai Rotem wins a 2.2 trillion-won (US$1.53 billion) contract to supply advanced trains to the Moroccan national railway operator ONCF. ^[43]
• 27 February –
  • The Constitutional Court rules that acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of Ma Eun-hyuk as a justice in the Constitutional Court violated the National Assembly's right to elect a justice to the court but dismisses a petition to have Ma appointed immediately. ^[44]
  • The Ministry of Unification dismisses Cho Min-ho as president of the Korea Hana Foundation supporting North Korean defectors amid allegations of him sexually and verbally harassing employees. ^[45]

March

• 6 March –
  • Two KF-16 fighter aircraft of the Republic of Korea Air Force drop their ordnance by accident on a civilian area of Pocheon during a drill, injuring 29 people. ^{[46] [47]}
  • A taxi crashes into a wall in Uliju, Ulsan, killing four people. ^[48]
• 7 March – The Seoul Central District Court cancels President Yoon's arrest warrant, citing procedural flaws. ^[49] He is released the next day. ^[50]
• 13 March – The Constitutional Court votes 8-0 to reject the impeachment of Board of Audit and Inspection chair Choe Jae-hae, who had been impeached by the National Assembly in December 2024 for failing to adequately review suspected irregularities regarding the 2022 relocation of the presidential office and residence. ^[51]

Scheduled events

• 7–16 July – 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship ^[52]
• July – 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship (women) ^[53]
• November – APEC South Korea 2025

Holidays

Further information: Public holidays in South Korea

As per Presidential Decree No. 28394, 2017. 10. 17., partially amended, the following days are declared holidays in South Korea: ^{[54] [55]}

• 1 January – New Year's Day
• 27 January ^[56] to 31 January – Korean New Year
• 1 March – March 1st Movement Day
• 5 May – Children's Day South Korea
• 5 May – Buddha's Birthday
• 6 June – Memorial Day
• 15 August – National Liberation Day
• 3 October – National Foundation Day
• 5 October to 7 October – Chuseok
• 9 October – Hangul Day
• 25 December – Christmas Day

Art and entertainment

• 2025 in South Korean music
• 2025 in South Korean television
• List of South Korean films of 2025
• List of 2025 box office number-one films in South Korea
• List of South Korean submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Deaths

• 2 February – Lee Joo-sil, 80, film actress ( The Uncanny Counter , Train to Busan , Squid Game ) ^[57]
• 7 February – Song Dae-kwan, 78, singer ^[58]
• 16 February –
  • Kim Sae-ron, 24, actress ( The Man from Nowhere , The Neighbor , Bloodhounds ) ^[59]
  • Gil Won-ok, 96, human rights activist and comfort woman. ^[60]
• 24 February – Jeong Su-il, 90, North Korean-born spy and historian. ^[61]
• 10 March – Wheesung, 43, singer. ^[62]

See also

• South Korea portal

Country overviews

• South Korea
• History of Korea
• Outline of South Korea
• Government of South Korea
• Cabinet of South Korea
• Politics of South Korea
• Years in South Korea
• Timeline of Korean history

Related timelines for current period

• 2025
• 2020s
• 2020s in political history

References

1. "Yoon's senior aides offer to resign after acting president appoints key justices". Yonhap News . 1 January 2025.
2. "(5th LD) Investigators trying to detain Yoon in standoff with presidential security service". Yonhap News . January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
3. "(2nd LD) 3 dead after fishing boat hits rocks off southwestern coast". Yonhap News . January 4, 2025. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
4. "Ex-DPK leader gets 2-year sentence for receiving illegal political funds". The Korea Times. 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
5. "Security chief of South Korea's impeached President Yoon resigns". France 24. 2025-01-10. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
6. Hyun-Soo, Kim (14 January 2025). "9 injured in 43-car pileup on icy highway in Goyang". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
7. "S Korea begins impeachment trial against suspended president". BBC . 14 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
8. Jeong, Andrew (January 15, 2025). "South Korea's impeached president detained over martial law gambit". The Washington Post . Retrieved January 15, 2025.
9. Sang-Ho, Song (18 January 2025). "(LEAD) S. Korea opens embassy in Cuba one year after establishing diplomatic relations". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
10. "Protesters storm S. Korea court after president's detention extended". France 24. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
11. Minji, Lee (21 January 2025). "Military intel official gets 20-yr prison term for leaking 'black agents' info". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
12. "South Korea to shrink biomass energy subsidies after criticism over link to deforestation". AP News. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
13. Cheong-Mo, Yoo (23 January 2025). "Constitutional Court rejects impeachment of broadcasting watchdog chief". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
14. "Three arrested attempting to sell 61kg of cocaine in largest such crime in South Korea". The Korea Herald. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
15. "K-Bio Control Tower aims to cultivate 110,000 specialists and 1 trillion won fund". Chosun Ilbo . 23 January 2025.
16. Kim, Da-sol (January 26, 2025). "Yoon becomes first sitting president to be indicted". The Korea Herald . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
17. "No. of injured victims from Busan airplane fire rises to 7, all with minor injuries". The Korea Herald. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
18. "(3rd LD) 2 fishing boats run aground off Jeju, leaving 2 dead, 2 missing". Yonhap News Agency . 1 February 2025.
19. "(3rd LD) Fire at Nat'l Hangeul Museum extinguished; 1 firefighter injured". Yonhap News Agency . 1 February 2025.
20. "High court acquits ex-Ulsan mayor, lawmaker in election meddling case". The Korea Times . 4 February 2025.
21. "9th Asian Winter Games kick off in China". Yonhap News Agency. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
22. "S. Korea exceeds Winter Asiad gold medal target in China". Yonhap News Agency . 14 February 2025.
23. "새벽 단잠 깨운 충주 지진…규모 4.2→3.1 수정, 왜 차이 컸나". Yonhap News (in Korean). 7 February 2025.
24. "(4th LD) Sunken fishing trawler found on seabed with 1 crewman inside; 4 dead, 5 missing". Yonhap News Agency . 9 February 2025.
25. "1 dead, 1 injured in explosion at oil storage tank in Ulsan". The Korea Times . 10 February 2025.
26. "Child dies in South Korea after being stabbed in school". The Straits Times. 10 February 2025.
27. "Five are missing after a fishing boat capsizes off a South Korean island". AP News . 12 February 2025.
28. "6 missing, 5 rescued as fishing boat catches fire". Yonhap News Agency . 13 February 2025.
29. "S Korea striker gets suspended jail term for filming secret sex videos". BBC . 14 February 2025.
30. "Construction site catches fire in South Korea, leaving at least 6 dead". AP News . 14 February 2025.
31. "Man nabbed while trying to raid Chinese Embassy in Seoul". Yonhap News Agency . 14 February 2025.
32. "배우 김새론, 서울 자택서 숨져… 경찰 "범죄 혐의점 없어"". 국민일보 (in Korean). 2025-02-16. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
33. "Netflix Star Kim Sae-ron's Cause of Death Revealed After She Is Found Dead at 24: Reports". People . Retrieved February 17, 2025.
34. "Gov't suspends local service of Chinese AI app DeepSeek". Yonhap News Agency. February 17, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
35. Haye-Ah, Lee (19 February 2025). "PM attends 1st hearing of his impeachment trial". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 19 February 2025.
36. Chae, Yun-hwan (February 19, 2025). "Court orders retrial of ex-spy chief who assassinated then President Park Chung-hee in 1979". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved February 19, 2025.
37. Kim, Hyun-soo (February 19, 2025). "Opposition lawmaker fined 3 mln won for violating election law". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved February 19, 2025.
38. Kim, Han-joo (February 19, 2025). "4 officials under Moon get suspended prison terms in N. Korean fishermen deportation case". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved February 19, 2025.
39. "Yoon becomes South Korea's first sitting president to go on criminal trial". CNA . February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
40. Lee, Haye-Ah (25 February 2025). "(5th LD) 4 dead, 6 injured after bridge collapses at highway construction site". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 25 February 2025.
41. Kim, Eun-jung (25 February 2025). "(News Focus) Constitutional Court expected to rule on Yoon's impeachment in mid-March". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 25 February 2025.
42. Yoo, Cheong-mo (26 February 2025). "Man shot dead after attacking police with knife". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 26 February 2025.
43. Chang, Dong-woo (26 February 2025). "(LEAD) Hyundai Rotem wins record 2.2 tln-won train supply deal from Morocco". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 26 February 2025.
44. Chae, Yun-hwan (27 February 2025). "(LEAD) Constitutional Court rules acting president's non-appointment of justice infringes Nat'l Assembly's right". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 27 February 2025.
45. Park, Boram (27 February 2025). "Head of foundation for N.K. defectors dismissed over alleged sexual harassment". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 27 February 2025.
46. "Fifteen hurt after SK fighter jets drop bombs by accident". BBC . 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
47. "South Korea says number injured in fighter jet misfire rises to 29". Reuters. 7 March 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
48. "4 dead, 1 injured in Ulsan taxi crash". The Korea Herald . 6 March 2025. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
49. Lee, Jihoon (8 March 2025). "South Korea's President Yoon free, trials continue after court quashes detention". Reuters.
50. McKenzie, Jean (8 March 2025). "South Korea's impeached president Yoon released from detention". BBC.
51. Lee, Haye-ah (13 March 2025). "Constitutional Court rejects impeachment of broadcasting watchdog chief". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
52. "75th EAFF Executive Committee Meeting". East Asian Football Federation. 30 March 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
53. "20th EAFF Competition Committee Meeting". East Asian Football Federation. 1 December 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
54. "National Holidays in South Korea in 2025". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
55. "South Korea Public Holidays 2025". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
56. Han-Joo, Kim (14 January 2025). "Gov't designates Jan. 27 as temporary holiday". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
57. Jae-Yeon, Woo (2 February 2025). "Veteran actress Lee Joo-shil dies of stomach cancer at 81". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 3 February 2025.
58. Sun-Ah, Shim (7 February 2025). "(LEAD) Trot singer Song Dae-kwan dies at 79". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 7 February 2025.
59. Ji-hyoung, Son (2025-02-16). "Actor Kim Sae-ron, 24, found dead". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
60. "'Comfort woman,' activist Gil Won-ok dies at 97". The Korea Herald. 2025-02-16. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
61. "[Obituary] Jeong Su-il, ex-North Korean spy turned Silk Road scholar, dies at 90". The Korea Herald. 2025-02-26. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
62. "Singer Wheesung, 43, found dead". The Korea Herald. 2025-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-12.

External links

• Online calendar