By Israa Mohamed
Guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace on Jan. 19 stand by Geunjeongmun Gate amid a heavy snow warning issued for Seoul and the nation’s central region. The gate is the main entrance of Geunjeongjeon Hall, a building within Gyeongbokgung that hosted major national ceremonies during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Many amateur photographers flocked to capture the picturesque snowy scene at the palace in Seoul’s Jongno-gu District. (Jeon Han)
Cherry blossoms on the afternoon of March 28 are in full bloom around Romance Bridge at Yeojwacheon Stream in Jinhae-gu District of Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. With 1.2 km-long lineup of cherry blossom trees alongside it, the stream is a cherry blossom hotspot that attracts numerous tourists in spring. The annual Jinhae Gunhangje (Cherry Blossom) Festival, the nation’s biggest event of its kind, was canceled this year due to COVID-19. (Yonhap News)
President Yoon Suk Yeol on May 10 is sworn into office at the nation’s 20th presidential inauguration held at National Assembly Plaza in the Yeouido neighborhood of Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo-gu District. In his speech, he said, “We must clearly define – and unequivocally reaffirm – the real meaning of freedom,” adding, “Freedom abides by the rules and seeks to aid others in need. Freedom is about caring for our fellow humankind in the spirit of solidarity and fraternity.” (Yang Dong Wook from Defense Media Agency)
A performance of pungmul (traditional folk music) and a lion mask dance on the afternoon of May 13 is held under the theme “The World We Dream of” at the Grand Garden of the presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul’s Jongno-gu District. Cheong Wa Dae this day was opened to the public as the new administration moved the presidential office to the city’s Yongsan-gu District. (Jeon Han)
Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner in the history of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition of the U.S., on June 18 plays in the finals of the contest’s 16th edition at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. He played Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, and a video of him playing the piece on the event’s official YouTube channel hit 9 million views as of Dec. 16. (Van Cliburn’s official Facebook page)
The domestically developed space rocket Nuri on the afternoon of June 21 blasts off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province, its second launch after the first in October last year. Unlike the first launch in which the rocket carried a dummy satellite, the second brought up to space a satellite with real functions developed with Korean technology. (Ministry of Science and ICT)
Workers on the morning of July 18 remove stains from the statue of King Sejong the Great at Gwanghwamun Square, which underwent renovation, in Seoul’s Jongno-gu District. Cleaning of the statue is usually done every April but was canceled last year due to the renovation of the square, meaning no cleaning for two years and three months. The new and improved Gwanghwamun was reopened on Aug. 6 covering 40,300 square m, more than double the previous area of 18,840. (Yonhap News)
Woo Sang-hyuk, 26, the world’s top-ranked male high jumper, on Oct. 12 clears the bar in the finals of this year’s Korean National Sports Festival at Ulsan Stadium in Ulsan’s Jung-gu District. His successful jump of 2.15 m earned him his seventh individual win in the competition. (Yonhap News)
Soldiers of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps on the morning of Oct. 27 patrol the coast of Baengnyeongdo Island in Ongjin-gun County of Incheon. Baengnyeongdo in the Yellow Sea is the nation’s northernmost island and closest to North Korea. (Yonhap News)
Visitors on Nov. 2 lay flowers at a memorial space in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station in Seoul’s Yongsan-gu District for those who died in the Itaewon incident. (Yonhap News)
The national soccer team on Dec. 2 takes a commemorative photo after its sensational 2-1 upset over Portugal in their final Group H game of the FIFA World Cup at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. By beating a global power in the sport, Korea earned a berth in the tournament’s round of 16 through a game dubbed the “Miracle of Doha.” (Yonhap News)
