Today in Korean history

March 24

1881 -- A group of Joseon Dynasty Confucian scholars from the southeastern region
of the Korean Peninsula present an appeal with 10,000 signatures to the royal
throne, protesting the opening of trade and commerce to foreign countries.

1895 -- A Joseon Dynasty cabinet led by Kim Hong-jip launches a drastic reform
drive. Kim was pressured into the drive by the Japanese government in a bid to
spread its social standards and culture over Korea for colonization. The reform
drive, however, provoked anti-Japanese feelings among Koreans and ended without
visible results.

1929 -- Gyeongseong Imperial University, the predecessor of Seoul National
University, holds its first graduation ceremony.

1949 -- Chang Myon, the first South Korean ambassador to the United States, takes
office in Washington.

1951 -- South Korean forces advance north of the 38th Parallel, which roughly
bisects the Korean Peninsula, during the three-year Korean War (1950-1953).

1969 -- A research team led by Lee Yong-kak, a professor at the College of
Medicine of Catholic University in Seoul, successfully completes the country's
first kidney transplant.

2002 -- A special prosecution team announces the result of its investigation
dubbed "Lee Yong-ho-gate," a corruption scandal involving high-level government
officials, senior prosecutors and intelligence officials. The prosecution said
several top-level officials collaborated with Lee to manipulate the stock market.
Lee was later charged with embezzling 68 billion won (US$53.7 million).
(END)