Today in Korean history

Aug. 26

1955 -- South Korea becomes a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

1996 -- Former South Korean Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo are sentenced to death and 22 1/2 years in jail, respectively, for rebellion and other charges. In April 1997, the charges were commuted to life imprisonment for Chun and 17 years in jail for Roh by the Supreme Court. In December 1997, the two were released on a special pardon.

1997 -- The U.S. State Department grants political asylum to North Korean Ambassador to Egypt Chang Sung-kil.

1999 -- Creditors put Daewoo Group's 12 affiliates under a debt-restructuring program.

2013 -- South Korean technicians are given permission to stay for extended periods of time at an inter-Korean factory park in North Korea to better support companies planning to reopen their factories.

2016 -- The vice chairman of South Korea's fifth-largest conglomerate, Lotte Group, is found dead, in an apparent suicide that occurred while he was waiting for a summons by prosecutors over corruption allegations involving the group.

2018 -- The unified Korean canoeing team grabs the gold medal in the women's 500-meter dragon boat racing at the 18th Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia, the co-host city of the Asian Games with Jakarta.

2021 -- More than 370 Afghans arrive in South Korea after fleeing from their war-torn country over the Taliban's seizure of power. The operation was part of Seoul's evacuation efforts to help the Afghans who had worked at South Korean Embassy and other facilities in the Central Asian nation.
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