North Korea and South Korea was once one country combined. That changed soonafter World War II. Since the Soviet Union controlled North Korea it was mainlyCommunist. North and South Korea were separated on the 38th parallel line. TheUnited States controlled South Korea so it was mainly democratic.
The Korean Warbegan on June 25, 1950, when troops from Communist-ruled North Korea invadedSouth Korea. The Korean War was the first war in which a world organization, theUnited Nations (UN), played a military role. The UN thought that the invasionwas “a violation of international peace,” and demanded that the Communistswithdraw from South Korea. After North Korea kept fighting the UN asked it’smember nations to aid South Korea with military help. Sixteen countries senttroops to South America and 41 other countries sent military equipment, food,and other supplies.
China fought on the side of North Korea, and the USSR gavemilitary equipment to the North Koreans. North Korea invaded South Korea becausethere was a disagreement between the two countries. The UN General Assembly toldKorea to hold elections throughout the entire country. The elections were tochoose one government for the entire country. The Soviet Union opposed this ideaand would not permit elections in North Korea. On May 10, 1947, the people ofSouth Korea elected a national assembly.
The assembly chose to set up theRepublic of Korea. On September 9, North Korean Communists established theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea. When both North and South claimed theentire country, their troops collided. North Korea had about 135,000 soldiers intheir army. Most of the soldiers fought for China or the Soviet Union in WWII. North Korea had many advantages over the South Korean Army.
The North hadairplanes, artillery, and tanks. South Korea had about 95,000 soldiers, fewplanes or heavy guns, and absolutely no tanks. When the UN joined with SouthKorea, at their strongest, they had about 1,110,000 soldiers. Approximately590,000 were South Koreans, and about 480,000 were Americans. The other 39,000were from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, and other countries. Atone point during the war North Korea had the South pushed so far south that theonly city they could retreat to was Pusan.
Finally, after years of fighting, theKorean War ended on July 27, 1953. The UN and North Korea signed an armisticeagreement. A permanent peace treaty between South Korea and North Korea hadnever been signed. However, US military presence is being maintained constantlyto discourage any aggression between the two countries.
