USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In the last days of the war, the U.S. proposed dividing the Korean peninsula into two occupation zones (a U.S. and Soviet one) with the 38th parallel as the dividing line. The Soviets accepted their proposal and agreed to divide Korea.

Detailed explanation-2: -The 38th parallel of latitude was chosen in 1945 by the USA and USSR as a convenient borderline for their divided military occupation of the Korean peninsula. Under this divided occupation, Korea rapidly developed two ideologically different regimes, a socialist state in the North and a liberal state in the South.

Detailed explanation-3: -THE 38th parallel in question is a circle of latitude 38 degrees north of the equatorial plane. This line divides the Korean peninsula roughly in half (leaving about 56% of Korean territory on the northern side).

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: -demilitarized zone (DMZ), region on the Korean peninsula that demarcates North Korea from South Korea. It roughly follows latitude 38° N (the 38th parallel), the original demarcation line between North Korea and South Korea at the end of World War II.