Tuberculosis has been a major public health threat in modern Korea.A few reports from the mid-1940s have demonstrated a high prevalence of latent and active tuberculosis infections.The high disease burden urged the newly established government to place a high priority on tuberculosis control.The government led a nationwide effort to control tuberculosis by building dedicated hospitals, conducting mass screening, providing technical and material support for microbiological diagnosis, administering Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination, and improving appropriate antibiotic treatment through public health centers.Such concerted efforts resulted in a gradual decrease in the disease burden of tuberculosis, as demonstrated by National Tuberculosis Prevalence Surveys and notifiable disease statistics.While great progress has been made, new challenges -including an aging population, outbreaks in schools and healthcare facilities, and migration from high-prevalence countries -lie ahead.Here, we review the modern history of tuberculosis in Korea, focusing on epidemiology and public health policies.