How was Korea split between the US and Soviet Union?

The division of Korea was the result of the Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. At the end of World War II in 1945, the Korean peninsula was liberated from Japanese colonial rule. However, the US and the Soviet Union, the two victorious superpowers of the war, had different plans for the future of Korea.

In September 1945, the US and the Soviet Union reached an agreement to temporarily divide Korea along the 38th parallel north latitude, with the Soviet Union occupying the north and the US occupying the south. The goal was to establish a unified, independent Korean government, but tensions between the two superpowers soon made this impossible.

The Soviet Union backed the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in North Korea, a communist state led by Kim Il-sung. On the other hand, the US supported the creation of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in South Korea, a capitalist state led by Syngman Rhee.

Over time, the division between North and South Korea became more entrenched, with each side receiving political, economic, and military support from their respective allies. Attempts at reunification through dialogue and negotiations failed, and the two Koreas remain divided to this day, with the Korean War Armistice Agreement of 1953 technically still in effect.