Division
The current division of the Korean peninsula is the result of decisions taken at the end of World War II. In 1910, Japan annexed Korea, and ruled over it until its defeat in World War II. The Korean independence officially occurred on 1 December 1943, when the United States, China, and Great Britain signed the Cairo Conference, which stated, “The aforesaid three powers, mindful of the enslavement of the people of Korea, are determined that “in due course” Korea shall become free and independent.” In 1945, the United Nations developed plans for trusteeship administration of Korea.
At midnight on 10 August 1945, two Army lieutenant colonels arbitrarily selected the 38th parallel as the dividing line, and the division of the peninsula into military occupation zones was agreed by the two superpowers — a northern zone administered by the Soviet Union and a southern zone administered by the United States. This was not originally intended to result in a long-lasting partition, but Cold War politics resulted in the establishment of two separate governments in the two zones in 1948 and rising tensions prevented cooperation. The desire of many Koreans for a peaceful unification was ended when the Korean War broke out in 1950. In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea with Joseph Stalin giving the green light and Mao Zedong's agreement to support DPRK as backup troop, beginning the Korean War. After three years of fighting that involved China, the Soviet Union, and the United Nations led by the U.S., the war ended with an Armistice Agreement at approximately the same boundary. The two countries never signed a peace treaty.
Read more about this topic: Korean Reunification
Famous quotes containing the word division:
“Slow, slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt tears;
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List to the heavy part the music bears,
“Woe weeps out her division when she sings.”
Droop herbs and flowers;
Fall grief in showers;
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Oh, I could still,
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—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
“Imperialism is capitalism at that stage of development at which the dominance of monopolies and finance capitalism is established; in which the export of capital has acquired pronounced importance; in which the division of the world among the international trusts has begun, in which the division of all territories of the globe among the biggest capitalist powers has been completed.”
—Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924)
“In this world, which is so plainly the antechamber of another, there are no happy men. The true division of humanity is between those who live in light and those who live in darkness. Our aim must be to diminish the number of the latter and increase the number of the former. That is why we demand education and knowledge.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)