Today in Korean history

Feb. 19

1136 -- An uprising led by Myocheong, a Buddhist monk and royal adviser during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), is killed by the king's army. Myocheong, who supported an independent policy toward China and opposed conservative officials, suggested war against the Chinese kingdom and wanted to relocate the capital northward based on his geomantic studies. His radical reform moves were blocked by high-level officials and aristocrats, who had him killed during the revolt.

1981 -- The state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation commences construction of the 7th and 8th atomic power plants in Yeonggwang, a southwestern maritime region of the country.

1992 -- South and North Korea put into effect the South-North Basic Agreement on reconciliation and non-aggression reached at high-level meetings in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.

1999 -- A veterinary research team led by Hwang Woo-suk, a professor at Seoul National University, succeeds in cloning a cow for the first time in the country. Hwang later claims to have extracted stem cells from cloned human embryos in 2004 and develop patient-specific stem cells in 2005. In 2006, however, the scientist was found to have fabricated data in his research, discrediting many of his purported achievements.

2013 -- South Korea's Army holds a send-off ceremony for 280 troops to be deployed to South Sudan to help the newly independent African nation's reconstruction efforts. The dispatch was requested by then-U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.
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