Movies & TV Shows2005
"My Love, My Bride" viewership exceeded 50%.
MBC's "I'm Sam Soon" concluded with a rating above 50%, cementing Kim Sun-young as the face of romantic comedy.
Source:Public News Compilation
TIMELINE 1996 —2026
K-pop Highlights of the Last 30 Years
Browse chronologically or use filters to narrow down to the companies and event types that matter to you.
Type
Common20Event
2005
Other2005
"Infinite Challenge" premieres
MBC's variety show "Infinite Challenge" premiered and, after 13 years on air, is known as the "National Variety Show."
Source:Public News Compilation
Movies & TV Shows2005-12-29
The King's Man surpassed 1200 million viewers.
Directed by Lee Jun-ik, "The King and the Clown" drew over 1230 million viewers, launching Lee Joon-ki to stardom.
Source:Public News Compilation
debut2005-11-06
Super Junior Debut
SM Entertainment launches large-scale male group Super Junior.
Source:Public News Compilation
Other2005-04-23
Infinite Challenge airs now
MBC's "Infinite Challenge," later dubbed the "National Variety Show," has been on air for 13 years.
Source:Public News Compilation
2004
Awarded2004
"Old Boy" wins the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival
Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, boosting South Korean cinema's international reputation.
Source:Public News Compilation
Other2004-10-30
Love Letter is now airing.
SBS's dating-themed game variety show "Love Letter" kicks off, hosted by Kang Ho-dong.
Source:Public News Compilation
Awarded2004-05-01
Oldboy Wins Grand Jury Prize at Cannes
Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
Source:Public News Compilation
Movies & TV Shows2004-02-05
The Taegeukgi soars, breaking box office records.
Director Kang Je-gyu's "Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War" was released, drawing over 1170 million viewers and setting a new record for Korean cinema at the time.
Source:Public News Compilation
2003
Movies & TV Shows2003
The movie "Memories of Murder" is now in theaters.
Directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Song Kang-ho, "Memories of Murder" became a classic of Korean cinema.
Source:Public News Compilation
Movies & TV Shows2003
"Jumong" becomes a sensation across Asia
MBC's historical drama "Dae Jang Geum," starring Lee Young-ae, achieved record-breaking ratings across multiple Asian countries and became a flagship representative of the Korean Wave.
Source:Public News Compilation
debut2003-12-26
TVXQ debut
SM Entertainment launches TVXQ, a five-member boy group and one of the key acts that launched the second generation of K-pop idols.
Source:Public News Compilation
Movies & TV Shows2003-12-24
"Real Heroes" Becomes the First Korean Film to Reach 10 Million Viewers
"Real Devils" surpassed 1100 million admissions, becoming the first domestic Korean film to reach 10 million viewers in box office history.
Source:Public News Compilation
Other2003-11-08
X-Man launches
SBS studio game variety show "X-Man" premiered, hosted by Yoo Jae-suk and Kang Ho-dong, becoming a representative variety program of the 2000s.
Source:Public News Compilation
Movies & TV Shows2003-05-02
Memories of Murder in theaters
Directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Song Kang-ho, *Memories of Murder*—adapted from the Hwaseong serial murders—is hailed as a classic of Korean cinema.
Source:Public News Compilation
2002
Movies & TV Shows2002
The broadcast of "Winter Sonata" sparked a Korean wave in Japan.
KBS drama "Winter Sonata," starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo, sparked the first wave of the Korean Wave across Asia, including Japan.
Source:Public News Compilation
debut2002-05-13
Rain debuts
Rain debuted with his first album, "Bad Guy," and subsequently gained widespread recognition across Asia.
Source:Public News Compilation
2001
Movies & TV Shows2001-07-27
My Sassy Girl sparks a wave of popularity across Asia
The film "My Sassy Girl," starring Cha Tae-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun, grossed over 480 million viewers and sparked a craze across multiple Asian countries.
Source:Public News Compilation
Album/Comeback2001-05-30
BoA's Japanese Debut
BoA launched her Japanese single "ID; Peace B" to enter the Japanese market, subsequently becoming a representative Korean artist to achieve success in Japan.
Source:Public News Compilation
Member Changes2001-05-13
H.O.T. disbands
H.O.T. announced their disbandment following contract disputes with members, marking the end of the first generation of K-pop idols.
Source:Public News Compilation
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