USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On 10 May 1948 the south held a general election. It took place amid widespread violence and intimidation, as well as a boycott by opponents of Syngman Rhee. On 15 August, the “Republic of Korea” (Daehan Minguk) formally took over power from the U.S. military, with Syngman Rhee as the first president.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Second Republic was strongly democratic, but was overthrown in under a year and replaced by an autocratic military regime.

Detailed explanation-3: -because democratization has been a gradual, brokered process, it wasn’t clear how it was all going to turn out, but social chaos was averted and progress made. Thus it was, in 1948, constitutional democracy was introduced, after 1987, procedurally it became consolidated.

Detailed explanation-4: -Japan fought wars to conquer Korea, but after WWII, Japan lost all power over it, after which the US and the Soviets divided it along the 38th parallel. Korea was split into North and South Korea when Japan was forced to surrender all of their colonies to the Soviets and the United States after losing WWII.

Detailed explanation-5: -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.