{"id":9102,"date":"2023-11-04T04:25:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T03:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northkoreainfo.com\/?p=9102"},"modified":"2023-11-04T04:25:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T03:25:10","slug":"what-is-the-history-of-north-korea-and-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northkoreainfo.com\/what-is-the-history-of-north-korea-and-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The History Of North Korea And South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Sitting on the edge of the East Sea is one of the most divided nations in the world – North and South Korea. North Korea is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and South Korea as the Republic of Korea. Both countries have a long and complex history which has resulted in the current situation of both Koreas being separated. <\/p>\n

The divided Koreas can trace their origins back to the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1910. The Japanese colonizers imposed their culture, language and laws over the Korean people and banned many traditional Korean practices from taking place. In August 1945, when Japan surrendered, Korea was liberated from the Japanese occupation. <\/p>\n

In 1945, the leaders of the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) agreed to split Korea along the 38th parallel. The US led South was dubbed the “Republic of Korea” and the USSR led North was called the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” and each had a system of government modeled after their respective backers. During the Cold War, North and South Korea each held deep suspicions and fears of their adversary, made worse by the fact that both claimed their governments to be the only legitimate ruling body on the Korean Peninsula. <\/p>\n

In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, which it saw as its enemy in an attempt to reunify Korea by force. The invasion took South Korea by surprise and the capital Seoul was quickly taken by the North Korean forces. The South Korean government appealed to the United Nations (UN) for help and the UN responded by sending troops from the US, Canada and a number of other countries. The conflict dragged on for over three years, with the two sides reaching a ceasefire in July 1953. The ceasefire left Korea divided along the 38th parallel, with the two sides facing off in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). <\/p>\n