At first, North and South Korea were one. These 2 countries even formed an empire; the Tachan Empire. It was after the Russo-Japanese War when Japan emerged victorious that they extended its territory over Korea, which therefore became a Japanese province; the province of Chosun.
The capitulation of Japan occurred in the 2nd World War on August 15, 1945, Korea was then divided into 2 distinct parts by the pentagon at the level of the 38th parallel. The north is governed by the Soviet Union with a communist regime while the south is occupied by the Americans. The south is then under a nationalist and anti-communist regime.
This separation then provoked the Korean War. The government of North Korea refused to recognize the legitimacy of the elections held in the south while Yi Sŭngman (governor of the south), was supported by the UN and bragged about saying that he was the only true governor of Korea.
On June 25th, 1950 the army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) invaded the South. An offense already planned since 1948 and supported by certain advisers from the USSR. America, as a precaution, so that Yi Sŭngman (governor of South Korea) wouldn't attack the DPRK had decided to withdraw from his army: tanks, planes, ... The weapons of this war were produced by the USSR and the United States, further showing the power that these 2 powers had on the 2 parts of Korea.
And so on October 7th, 1950, a resolution was voted by the UNGA which would have aimed:
- To ensure a stable situation throughout Korea.
- To prepare for the establishment of a unified, democratic and independent government.
The resolution proposed a plan for free elections under UN control in Korea and the creation of a unified Korean government. This resolution also authorized United Nations troops to cross the 38th parallel.
This war therefore allowed South Korea to gain land in the east while North Korea gained land in the west.
Even today these two countries are still in tension, one is withdrawn while the other is open to the world. The desires for a unification of the 2 countries are not so close because the Korean War was stopped only by the signing of a peace treaty on July 27th, 1953. Since no peace treaty has yet been signed , the 2 countries are therefore technically still at war.
Register / log in to your Grunge News account to leave your impressions in the comment space! (click on "login" at the top right of your screen!)