Oct 2023 – President Yoon Suk Yeol and Defence Minister Kim Yong‑Hyun begin drafting a scheme to suspend Parliament and seize legislative powers, marking the earliest stage of the martial‑law plan that later targets political rivals [13].

Oct 2024 – Yoon orders covert drone flights and other provocations over North Korea, hoping to create a pretext for martial law despite receiving no retaliation from the North [1].

Dec 3 2024 – Yoon issues an emergency martial‑law decree, troops surround the National Assembly and he brands the legislature “anti‑state forces,” initiating a six‑hour crisis that later triggers his downfall [1][30].

Dec 4 2024 (early hours) – Lawmakers vote to overturn the decree at 1:01 a.m.; Yoon announces the end of martial law at 4:27 a.m., restoring civilian rule within hours [30].

Apr 4 2025 – The Constitutional Court removes Yoon from office in a unanimous impeachment decision, ending his presidency after the failed martial‑law bid [15][30].

Jun 3 2025 – A snap presidential election elects Lee Jae Myung, who later takes office on June 4, pledging pragmatic diplomacy and AI‑driven growth [15].

Sep 5 2025 – U.S. immigration authorities raid a Hyundai‑LG battery plant in Georgia, detaining 475 workers (including 317 Koreans), prompting Seoul to negotiate visa‑desk support for Korean personnel [15].

Sep 26 2025 – The National Assembly passes a reform to abolish the Prosecution Service and create separate investigative and indictment agencies, reshaping South Korea’s criminal‑justice architecture [15].

Oct 29 2025 – At a summit with President Donald Trump, Seoul and Washington announce a trade deal cutting U.S. tariffs, approve nuclear‑powered submarines, and secure uranium‑enrichment and spent‑fuel‑reprocessing rights [15].

Oct 31‑Nov 1 2025 – South Korea hosts the APEC summit in Gyeongju, adopting the Gyeongju Declaration on trade, investment and digital transition, and showcasing democratic resilience [15].

Nov 14 2025 – A joint fact sheet details the newly agreed U.S.–South Korea cooperation on civil nuclear fuel cycles and submarine technology [15].

Dec 1 2025 – President Lee posts on X, urging that “unresolved acts of insurrection” be fully addressed or they will “inevitably resurface someday,” and credits the public with averting war [25].

Dec 2 2025 – Citizens mark the first anniversary of the Dec 3, 2024 martial‑law crisis by walking past a commemorative stone at the National Assembly, symbolising democratic restoration [22].

Dec 2 2025 – The National Assembly faces a legal deadline to approve the 2026 budget of 728 trillion won, intensifying partisan negotiations [24].

Dec 3 2025 – President Lee urges the cabinet to “uphold the constitutional separation of politics and religion,” referencing systematic interference by a religious group [21].

Dec 5 2025 – The Office for Government Policy Coordination announces a penalty‑exemption policy: officials who self‑report involvement in the 2024 martial‑law attempt receive only a warning [20].

Dec 9 2025 – Seoul’s presidential office reaffirms Dokdo as unequivocally Korean territory, rejecting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s claim and signalling a firm diplomatic stance [18].

Dec 14 2025 – A special counsel concludes that Yoon began preparations for martial law “in or before October 2023,” confirming the plot pre‑dated any legislative reshuffle [17].

Dec 15 2025 – Independent counsel Cho Eun‑suk reports that Yoon and 23 officials deliberately prepared a decree to suspend civilian rule, indicting the former president, Defence Minister Kim Yong‑Hyun, Prime Minister Han Duck‑soo and others [1].

Dec 15 2025 – Police raid Unification Church headquarters in Seoul and its Gapyeong complex, probing alleged bribery schemes that involved gifts to politicians, including Yoon’s wife [1].

Dec 16 2025 – Special counsel details that the martial‑law plan aimed to “eliminate political opponents and monopolize power,” tagging foes as “anti‑state forces” and seeking to control the judiciary [13].

Dec 16‑17 2025 – The ruling People Power Party pushes through an information‑act expansion, an insurrection‑tribunal bill, and an anti‑fake‑news law, sparking debate over civil liberties and emergency‑style powers [9][14][16].

Dec 20 2025 – The government announces plans to ease sanctions on North Korea and promote Wonsan‑Kalma tourism, while also signaling possible lifting of the ICO ban next year [10].

Dec 30 2025 – President Lee schedules a special address for Dec 12, 2025 at the National Assembly, to commemorate the martial‑law anniversary, followed by a press conference with 80 foreign journalists and a luncheon with senior constitutional officials [26][27][28].

Jan 9 2026 – The Seoul Central District Court holds the final hearing of Yoon’s insurrection trial, while an inter‑agency team prepares for U.S. talks on uranium enrichment and spent‑fuel reprocessing [8].

Jan 9 2026 – Prosecutors seek a death sentence for Yoon, arguing he drafted a scheme to suspend Parliament as early as October 2023; the court sets Jan 13 to resume sentencing proceedings [2].

Jan 13 2026 – President Lee lands in Nara for a summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi; the final hearing of Yoon’s trial resumes after a brief suspension, and North Korea is accused of stealing over US$2 billion in cryptocurrency [7].

Jan 13 2026 – Seoul’s intracity bus drivers launch an indefinite strike after wage talks collapse, halting all bus services and exacerbating traffic disruptions [7].

Jan 13 2026 – The Korean won slides toward a multiyear low, opening at 1,468.5 per dollar, reflecting overseas investment pressures [7].

Jan 13 2026 – Education authorities project first‑grader enrollment at 298,178 for 2026, the first dip below 300,000 due to a persistently low birth rate [7].

Jan 14 2026 – Lee meets ethnic Koreans in Nara, thanking them for “lighting beacons to protect the Republic of Korea’s democracy” during the illegal martial‑law crisis and apologizing for past espionage accusations [6].

Jan 2026 (future) – President Lee plans a summit with Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith to discuss transnational crime and deepen economic‑security cooperation [17].

Feb 2 2026 – Finance Minister Koo Yun‑cheol declares “absolutely no discussions” on a supplementary budget, despite President Lee’s calls for extra cultural and economic funding [5].

Feb 5 2026 – Trade Minister Yeo Han‑koo returns from Washington, pledging close consultations to avert a U.S. 25 percent tariff on Korean goods and reaffirming joint nuclear‑fuel and submarine cooperation [4].

Feb 19 2026 – Yoon’s sentencing trial proceeds, marking 444 days since the Dec 3, 2024 martial‑law decree, while Seoul seeks to reinstate an inter‑Korean no‑fly zone over the DMZ to deter drone incursions [3].