Today in Korean history

Feb. 21

1954 -- A vessel from South Korea carrying North Korean prisoners of war arrives in India. The group of 76 prisoners, who were held by southern authorities during the 1950-1953 Korean War, wanted to live somewhere other than Korea after their release. North Korean POWs in the South were given the choice of going to their homeland, China or a neutral country under the Armistice Agreement that ended the war.

1992 -- Short track speed skater Kim Ki-hoon wins the gold medal in the men's 1,000-meter event at the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. It was South Korea's first gold in a Winter Olympiad.

1994 -- The movie "Avatamsaka-sutra," whose Korean title is "Hwaeomgyeong," meaning flower-garland sutra, wins the Alfred Bauer Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Directed by Chang Sun-woo, the movie tells the story of a male orphan who leaves his lover in search of his mother, falls into temptation and encounters different people during the journey.

1998 -- The Group of Seven countries, or G-7, agrees to provide South Korea with US$1 billion to help it overcome the Asian financial crisis.

2006 -- South and North Korea resume bilateral talks between their Red Cross officials despite the prolonged stalemate in international negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programs.

2019 -- The Supreme Court recognizes the age of 65 as the maximum age that people are physically fit to work, breaking a nearly 30-year precedent that will likely reshape the notion of retirement and impact related industries.
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