Today in Korean history

March 12

1948 -- Korean independence fighters, including Kim Gu and Kim Kyu-sik, issue a statement opposing a U.N. General Assembly resolution adopted Feb. 26 to hold a separate general election in southern Korea.

1971 -- South Korean ground troops assume responsibility for the defense of the entire 155-mile truce line that divides the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. military had until then guarded part of the line.

1993 -- North Korea announces its decision to withdraw from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

2004 -- South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament passes a motion to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun, accusing him of incapability and an election law violation. The Constitutional Court, which has the final say on the case, ruled on May 14 that the reasons cited by the parliament were not grave enough to oust Roh.

2009 -- Professor Sung Hyun-ho of Ewha Womans University in Seoul is elected a member of the Guiding Committee for the General Bathymetric Chart of Oceans under the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), becoming the first South Korean to be elected to the committee.

2011 -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak starts his four-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, a trip highlighting economic cooperation.

2016 -- Google's artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo celebrated its third consecutive victory against South Korean Go player Lee Se-dol on Saturday, heralding another win for machines against mankind.

2017 -- Former President Park Geun-hye leaves the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, two days after the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment.

2021 -- South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. makes its landmark debut on the New York Stock Exchange at an initial public offering price of US$35 per share.
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