A line drawn in 1945 to split the occupation of Korea became the border between two rival governments, each wanting the whole country.
Japan ruled Korea as a colony until its defeat in 1945. Soviet troops then took Japan's surrender in the north, and US troops in the south. Their zones met at the 38th parallel, a line of latitude. This was meant for the occupation, not as a lasting border. As the USA and USSR fell out, agreeing on one Korean government became harder.
In 1948, two states formed. Syngman Rhee led the anti-communist Republic of Korea in the south. Kim Il Sung led the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north. Each claimed the whole country and wanted to reunite it under its own rule.
Border fights and harsh rule deepened hatred. But war was not certain. North Korea chose to invade the South on 25 June 1950.
- 38th parallel
- Line dividing the Soviet and US zones in 1945.
- 1948
- Rhee leads the South; Kim Il Sung leads the North.
- 25 June 1950
- North Korea invades the South.
Worked example: What made war possible, and what started it?
Separate a long-running problem from the decision that began the war.
- Background: two governments each claim all of Korea.
- Rising tension: border clashes make the rivalry violent.
- Trigger: Kim sends his army south on 25 June 1950.
Watch out for this
The two Koreas had always been separate countries.
Korea was one country, ruled by Japan until 1945. It was split only after the war.
Check your understanding
Why was Korea divided at the 38th parallel?
- Koreans voted to create two countries.
- It was Korea's historic border between two kingdoms.
- It split the Soviet and US zones for accepting Japan's surrender in 1945.