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Background

The Korean Peninsula was ruled by the Empire of Japan from 1910 until the end of World
War II. When the war ended at 1945 Korea was at the mercy of the two superpowers, US and
Soviet Union. This two superpowers divided Korea into two states: North Korean, dominated
by the Soviets and the North Korean, dominated by the US. American administrators divided
the peninsula along the 38th parallel to make it clear.
In 1948 the South part elected a president, the American Syngman Rhee on 20 July, and 15
August the Soviet established a Communist North Korean government

led by Kim Il-sung. In this
way rival governments were established: The Republic of Korea was proclaimed in the South
and the People's Democratic Republic of Korea in the North. This made more deeper the
differences between both states.
As nationalists, both Syngman Rhee and Kim Il-Sung were intent upon reunifying Korea under
their own political system. The North Koreans gained support from the Soviet Union and the
People's Republic of China (PRC) and the South Koreans by the US.
Korean communists who had worked at home or in China, Manchuria, and the Soviet Union
were integrated into his government, but, by 1949, Kim had overcome factionalism to be
named suryong (leader) of the ruling Korean Workers Party. His mission was clear: unite
Korea.
The United Nations only recognized the U.S.-backed Republic of Korea as legitimate, but Kim
saw no reason to cede the field. By June 1949, both Soviet and American troops had
withdrawn from the Korean peninsula. U.S. interest in South Korea appeared to be faltering: in
a January 1950 speech, Secretary of State Dean Acheson omitted the country from a list of
Pacific Rim states vital to U.S. defense interests. Meanwhile, in South Korea, President
Syngman Rhee had unleashed a brutal campaign against suspected communists and leftists.
Force was Kims intended response, but first he needed support. Recently uncovered
documents indicate that he headed to Moscow in early 1950 for consultations with Stalin
about an invasion of the South. In April Stalin gave Kim permission to invade South Korea
under the condition that Mao would agree to send reinforcements if they became needed.
On 21 June, Kim Il-Sung requested permission to start with general attack across the 38th
parallel, rather than a limited operation in the Ongjin peninsula. Kim was concerned that South
Korean agents had learned about the plans and South Korean forces were strengthening their
defenses. Stalin agreed to change the plan to destroying South Korean government remnants,
capturing the rest of South Korea, including the ports.
So, on June 25 1950 the tropes of Kim Sung advanced towards the 38th parallel and invading
the south. In the first weeks of the conflict the North Korean forces met little resistance and
advanced rapidly. By Sept. 10 they had driven the South Korean army and a small American
force to the Busan (Pusan) area at the southeast tip of Korea. A counteroffensive began on
Sept. 15, when UN forces made a daring landing at Incheon (Inchon) on the west coast. North
Korean forces fell back and MacArthur received orders to pursue them into North Korea. On 29
September MacArthur restored the government of the Republic of Korea under Syngman
Rhee.
On Oct. 19, the North Korean capital of Pyongyang was captured; by Nov. 24, North Korean
forces were driven by the 8th Army, under Gen. Walton Walker, and the X Corp, under Gen.
Edward Almond, almost to the Yalu River, which marked the border of Communist China. As
MacArthur prepared for a final offensive, the Chinese Communists joined with the North
Koreans to launch (Nov. 26) a successful counterattack. The UN troops were forced back, and
in Jan. 4, 1951, the Communists again advanced into the South, recapturing Seoul, the South
Korean capital.
After months of heavy fighting, the center of the conflict was returned to the 38th parallel,
where it remained for the rest of the war. MacArthur, however, wished to mount another
invasion of North Korea lunching a nuclear bomb. The US Congress alarmed by the idea of the
possibility of a nuclear war against the Soviets, MacArthur is dismissed by the president
Truman and installed Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway as commander in chief (April 10).
Statlemate
By July 1951, the conflict had reached a stalemate, with the two sides fighting limited
engagements, but with neither side in a position to force the others surrender. Both the
United States and China had, at this point, achieved the short-term goal of maintaining the
demarcation line at the 38th parallel, while the North and South Koreans had failed in the
larger goal of uniting the country under their preferred political systems. Representatives of all
the parties began to discuss peace.
For the next two years, small-scale skirmishes continued to break out, first at Kaesong
(southern North Korea), then relocated at Panmunjom (bordering the Koreas) while the
various representatives argued over the peace terms. After agreeing on the demarcation line
and the settlement of airfields, the main issue blocking progress in the talks was the
repatriation of prisoners of war. In the final armistice agreement, signed on 27 July 1953, a
Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission was set up to handle the matter .
The United Nations Command, supported by the United States, the North Korean People's
Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteers, signed the Armistice Agreement on 27 July 1953 to
end the fighting. The Armistice also called upon the governments of South Korea, North Korea,
China and the United States to participate in continued peace talks. The war is considered to
have ended at this point, even though there was no peace treaty. North Korea nevertheless
claims that it won the Korean War.
Aftermath
Korea developed into a two different economical and social system country that until the S.XXI
wasn't a possibility of reunification. In Korea the influence of the Communist Chinese takes on
the support of the north-korean regimen. This north-korean communist still alive regimen,
made the actual perseverance of the only "cold world frontier" in the S.XXI.
North Korea has to be rebuild from zero and all the productive system depended on the Estate
who implemented social politics in health, education and services. In addition, developed a
high nuclear technologic which makes US being worried about.
South Korea also had to be rebuild from zero, but this one had the capitalist support with
important social consequences because of the abuse in manpower by the big companies.
Actually, this part has a higher life quality than the north, which is still fighting against the
poverty, but the rich distribution is still being controlled by the big companies.
Both countries had dictator governments hided by elections and controlled by the high
powers.

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