2026 in South Korea
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| See also: | Other events of 2026 Years in South Korea Timeline of Korean history 2026 in North Korea | ||||
Scheduled events in 2026 in South Korea.
Incumbents
[edit]| Office | Image | Name | Assumed office / Current length |
|---|---|---|---|
 President of the Republic of Korea |
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|
Lee Jae-myung | 4 June 2025 |
 Speaker of the National Assembly |
|
Woo Won-shik | 5 June 2024 |
 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court |
|
Cho Hee-dae | 8 December 2023 |
 President of the Constitutional Court |
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|
Kim Sanghwan | 24 July 2025 |
 Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea |
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|
Kim Min-seok | 3 July 2025 |
Events
[edit]January
[edit]- 2 January – A KAI T-50 Golden Eagle of the Republic of Korea Air Force overturns during an emergency landing at Gwangju Air Base in Gwangju. Both pilots are unharmed.[1]
- 16 January –
- Former president Yoon Suk Yeol is convicted and sentenced to five years' imprisonment on charges of abuse of power, obstruction of justice and falsification of documents in one of four trials relating to the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis.[2]
- A massive fire breaks out at Guryong Village in Gangnam, Seoul.[3]
- 21 January – Former prime minister Han Duck-soo is convicted and sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment on charges relating to the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis.[4]
- 28 January – Former first lady Kim Keon Hee is convicted and sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment on charges of accepting bribes from the Unification Church.[5]
February
[edit]- 9 February – An AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter of the Republic of Korea Army crashes in Gapyeong County, killing its two crew.[6]
- 10 February – Authorities carry out raids on the National Intelligence Service and the Korea Defense Intelligence Command as part of investigations into drone flights carried out into North Korea.[7]
- 12 February – Former interior minister Lee Sang-min is convicted and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment on charges relating to the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis.[8]
- 19 February – Former president Yoon Suk Yeol is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for insurrection relating to the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis.[9]
- 25 February – An F-16 fighter jet of the Republic of Korea Air Force crashes near Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The pilot safely ejects.[10]
Predicted and scheduled events
[edit]- 5 September – 4 November: The Yeosu World Island Exhibition will take place in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.[11][12]
Holidays
[edit]As per Presidential Decree No. 28394, 2017. 10. 17., partially amended, the following days are declared holidays in South Korea:[13][14]
- 1 January – New Year's Day
- 16 – 18 February – Korean New Year
- 1 March – March First Movement
- 5 May – Children's Day
- 24 May – Buddha's Birthday
- 6 June – Memorial Day
- 15 August – National Liberation Day of Korea
- 24 – 27 September – Chuseok
- 3 October – National Foundation Day
- 9 October – Hangul Day
- 25 December – Christmas Day
Art and entertainment
[edit]- List of South Korean submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
- 2026 in South Korean television
- List of South Korean films of 2026
- 2026 in South Korean music
Deaths
[edit]- 1 January – Jeon Jun-ho, 50, baseball player (Hyundai Unicorns, Woori Heroes, SK Wyverns).[15]
- 4 January – Kim Young-in, 85, actor (Dachimawa Lee, No Blood No Tears, Arahan).[16]
- 5 January – Ahn Sung-ki, 74, actor (Silmido, Two Cops, Radio Star).[17]
- 11 January – Park Soon-yong, 81, lawyer, prosecutor general (1999–2001).[18]
- 14 January – Kim min-jae, 53, baseball player.[19]
- 20 January – Li Chang-Su, 58, North Korean-born judoka and defector to South Korea.[20]
- 25 January –
- Lee Hae-chan, 73, prime minister (2004–2006), minister of education (1998–1999) and MNA (1988–2020).[21]
- Gong Ro-myung, 93, diplomat and politician, minister of foreign affairs (1994–1996).[22]
- 8 February – Jung Jin-woo, 88, film director (Oyster Village, Adultery Tree) and producer (Woman of Fire).[23]
- 11 February – Jung Eun-woo, 39, actor (Five Fingers, One Well-Raised Daughter, The Return of Hwang Geum-bok).[24]
References
[edit]- ^ "Air Force T-50 trainer jet overturns after emergency landing". Korea JoongAng Daily. 2 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ "S Korea's ex-president Yoon to be jailed for five years over martial law bid". BBC. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "S Korean firefighters tackle huge blaze in last of Seoul's 'shanty towns'". Al Jazeera. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "S Korea's former PM found guilty of insurrection, given 23 years in prison". Al Jazeera. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ "South Korea's ex-first lady jailed for 20 months for bribery". BBC. 28 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ "South Korean military helicopter crashes during training, killing two". Reuters. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ "Investigators Raid NIS, Military Intel Command in Surveillance Drone Probe". KBS. 11 February 2026.
- ^ "South Korea's former interior minister gets 7-year sentence for aiding martial law". AP News. 12 February 2026.
- ^ "South Korea court sentences ex-president Yoon to life in prison for 2024 insurrection". France 24. 19 February 2026.
- ^ "Yeongju jet crash causes hillside fire, residents evacuated". Korea JoongAng Daily. 25 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ^ "Expo 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea: A Special Encounter". www.yeosu.go.kr. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "2026 Yeosu World Island Expo marks one year to go with citizen and islander support". www.koreapost.com. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "National Holidays in South Korea in 2026". Office Holidays. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "South Korea Public Holidays 2026". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "Hyundai Dynasty's 2006 Win Rate King Jeon Joon-ho Dies". Chosun.com.
- ^ "Deaths in 2026", Wikipedia, 2 February 2026, retrieved 2 February 2026
- ^ Shin, Jeong-sun (5 January 2026). "South Korean Film Legend Ahn Sung-ki Dies at 75". The Chosun Daily. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ Park, Jae-hyun (12 January 2026). "[부고] 박순용(전 검찰총장)씨 별세". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ Yang, Seung-su (15 January 2026). "Former National Team Shortstop Kim Min-jae Passes Away". The Chosun Daily. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "North Korean Judo Defector Lee Chang-soo Dies". The Chosun Daily. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan Passes Away at 74". The Chosun. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "공로명 전 외교부 장관 별세…향년 94세". TV Chosun (in Korean). 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ "Veteran film director Jeong Jin Woo passes away at 88". allkpop. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ "South Korean actor Jung Eun Woo passes away". GMA News. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
External links
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