1979 in South Korea

Incumbents

• President: Park Chung-hee, Choi Kyu-hah
• Prime Minister: Choi Kyu-hah, Shin Hyun-hwak

  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.
• 30 January - Nam Hyun-joon.
• 8 February - MC Sniper.
• 16 February - Eric Mun.
• 11 March - Jung Yong-hoon.
• 6 April - H-Eugene.
• 10 May - Lee Hyori.
• 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.

  Deaths

• October 26 - President Park Chung-hee, 61