1979 in South Korea

Events from the year 1979 in South Korea.

Incumbents

 * President: Park Chung-hee (until 26 October), Choi Kyu-hah (starting 6 December)
 * Prime Minister: Choi Kyu-hah (until 6 December), Shin Hyun-hwak (starting 12 December)

Events

 * October 3 - Security chief Kim Jae-kyu meets democrat politician Kim Young-sam to discuss the country's future.
 * December 6 - 1979 South Korean presidential election, confirms former prime minister Choi Kyu-hah as the new president.
 * December 12 - Coup d'état of December Twelfth: Lieutenant General Chun Doo-hwan, commander of the Security Command, orders the arrest of General Jeong Seung-hwa, ROK Army Chief of Staff, on allegations of involvement in the assassination of President Park Chung Hee. A shoot-out at the Army Headquarters and the Ministry of Defense results in Chun and his fellow eleventh class military academy graduates such as Major General Roh Tae-woo and Major General Jeong Ho-yong taking control of the Korean military.

Films

 * The Genealogy
 * Police Story
 * The Rain at Night
 * Water Lady

Births

 * 7 January - Ha Jae-sook, actress
 * 12 January - Lee Bo-young.
 * 20 January - Choo Ja-hyun, actress
 * 21 January - Byung-hyun Kim, baseball player
 * 30 January - Nam Hyun-joon.
 * 31 January - Kim E-Z.
 * 8 February - MC Sniper.
 * 16 February - Eric Mun.
 * 21 February - Lee Hee-jin.
 * 11 March - Jung Yong-hoon.
 * 29 March - Park Si-yeon.
 * 6 April - H-Eugene.
 * 10 May - Lee Hyori.
 * 10 July - Gong Yoo.
 * 13 July - Lee Jaijin.
 * 28 July - Lee Min-woo.
 * 7 August - Kim Jaeduck.
 * 4 September - MC Mong.
 * 10 September - MayBee.
 * 24 September - Kim Jong-min.
 * 10 October - Kangta.
 * 2 November - Skull.
 * 21 November - Kim Dong-wan.
 * 27 November - Shin Hye-sung.
 * 28 November - Daniel Henney.

Deaths

 * October 26 - President Park Chung-hee, 61 (assassinated)