After World War II, Korea and Vietnam were liberated from Japanese occupation. Leaders could not agree on how to organize their government, so they split! The end of World War II brought about independence for many Asian countries that had long been colonies of the Empire of Japan.
The absence of US troops was mainly due to a miscalculation of when Japan would surrender. To restrict the USSR from seizing the entire peninsula, the US suggested a temporary division of the Korean peninsula between the US and USSR.
Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic of Korea) comprising its southern half.
Why Korea was split at the 38th parallel after World War II. North and South Korea have been divided for more than 70 years, ever since the Korean Peninsula became an unexpected casualty of the escalating Cold War between two rival superpowers: the Soviet Union and the United States.
The Korean conflict is an ongoing conflict based on the division of Korea between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and South Korea (Republic of Korea), both of which claim to be the sole legitimate government of all of Korea.
When Japan was defeated in World War II, Soviet forces took control of the North, and American forces took control of the South, with the 38th parallel as the agreed-upon dividing line. South Korea is independent as of August 15, 1945, and North Korea as of September 9, 1945.
Citizens of South Korea require special permission from both governments to enter North Korea and are typically not granted such permission for regular tourism except in special tourist areas designated for South Koreans.
North and South Korea share a language and traditional culture, but politically their modern history is one of conflict and division. The Korean peninsula, a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, was roughly divided in two along the 38th parallel by US and Soviet occupying forces at the end of the second world war.
The Korean War started on 25 June 1950 and ended on 27 July 1953, after the signing of an armistice agreeing that the country would remain divided. At the end of the Second World War, Korea – which had formerly been occupied by the Japanese – was divided along the 38th parallel.
North Korea vs South Korea
South Korea is a full democracy, with elections hosted every five years, even having its first female president in 2013. North Korea falls under the supreme leadership of its founding Kim dynasty, around the Juche ideology. The capital of South Korea is Seoul, its largest city.
Unified Silla lasted for 267 years until falling to Goryeo, under the leadership King Gyeongsun, in 935. Joseon, born out of the collapsed Goryeo in 1392, also ruled the entire peninsula, that rule lasting until Japan annexed Korea in 1910. The period of Japanese colonization lasted until 1945.
The historic decision to divide the peninsula has aroused speculation on several counts. Some historians attribute the division of Korea to military expediency in receiving the Japanese surrender, while others believe that the decision was a measure to prevent the Soviet forces from occupying the whole of Korea.
Although the war ended where it began, the United States and its allies did succeed in preventing communism from overtaking South Korea.
Before there was a South and North Korea, the peninsula was ruled as a dynasty known as Chosŏn, which existed for more than five centuries, until 1910. This period, during which an independent Korea had diplomatic relations with China and Japan, ended with imperial Japan's annexation of the peninsula.
China's intervention on the North's behalf led to a stalemate between the two sides, and the fighting was halted roughly along the 38th Parallel after a truce was signed on July 27, 1953. But with no formal peace treaty ever established, the two Koreas technically remain at war.
On August 15, 1945, Koreans finally received what they had looked forward to for so long: the country's liberation as a result of Japan's surrender in the Pacific War.
According to a 2014 BBC World Service poll, 3% of South Koreans viewed North Korea's influence positively, with 91% expressing a negative view, making South Korea, after Japan, the country with the most negative feelings of North Korea in the world.
The DMZ was created at the end of the Korean War in 1953, when an armistice was signed. Both countries are still divided and technically at war, but the DMZ ensures the demarcation between them remains peaceful.
Both governments claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all of Korea, and neither accepted the border as permanent. After failed attempts of negotiations on unification, North Korean army (Korean People's Army or KPA) forces crossed the border and drove into South Korea on 25 June 1950.
In 2021, South Korea's nominal gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to around 2,071 trillion South Korean won, compared to that of North Korea which was approximately 35.89 trillion South Korean won. With this, South Korea's nominal GDP was around 57 times greater than that of North Korea.
South Korea relies upon exports to fuel the growth of its economy, with finished products such as electronics, textiles, ships, automobiles, and steel being some of its most important exports.
Long-term visa holders residing in South Korea must apply for a re-entry permit before leaving South Korea. If you leave South Korea without a re-entry permit, your Alien Registration Card may be cancelled and you'll need to apply for a new long-term visa to enter.
If despite our advice, you travel to North Korea, you'll need a visa for all types of travel. North Korea doesn't have an embassy or consulate in Australia.
No foreign music or movies are allowed
North Koreans are not allowed to listen to foreign music or watch foreign movies, as both are considered criminal activities. In 2015, the country's dictator, Kim Jong-un, decreed to destroy all cassette tapes and CDs that contained songs that the state had outlawed.
South Korea's number of military forces in comparison to North Korea 2022, by type. As of December 2022, South Korea's number of military forces amounted to about 500 thousand whereas that of North Korea reached approximately 1.28 million. Overall, North Korea had more than twice as many military forces as South Korea.