Today in Korean history

Nov. 2

1966 -- U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson visits South Korea.

1968 -- Some 100 North Korean armed spies infiltrate South Korea's Uljin-Samcheok area in five groups. About 70 South Korean civilians and soldiers were killed or injured by the infiltrators.

1973 -- Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil holds talks with his visiting Japanese counterpart, Kakuei Tanaka. The meeting settled a dispute between South Korea and Japan over the South's abduction of opposition lawmaker Kim Dae-jung earlier that year.

Kim was abducted by a group of Korean Central Intelligence Agency operatives in a Tokyo hotel amid suppression of South Korea's opposition parties by the iron-fisted Park Chung-hee government. Park had just pushed through his Yushin (Revitalizing Reform) Constitution, which gave the executive increased powers and the right to run for an unlimited number of terms in indirect presidential elections.

1988 -- The National Assembly begins a public hearing on corruption cases involving the government of former President Chun Doo-hwan.

1992 -- Prince Charles of Britain visits South Korea.

1998 -- Foreign Minister Hong Soon-young declares that the Dokdo islets are historically and legally South Korean territory and that they are not subject to dispute.

2001 -- The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations declares that teachers will begin to officially participate in political activities.

2005 -- Olympic committees from the two Koreas reach a tentative agreement to field a unified team for future Asian Games and Olympics.

2009 -- The National Museum of Korea celebrates the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the country's first national museum.

2011 -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agree to work closely on a project to build a gas pipeline linking the two countries via North Korea.
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