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Why did the United States and the Soviet Union divide Korea at the 38th parallel in 1945?

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Map of the Korean Peninsula highlighted in orange, showing North Korea in the north and South Korea in the south. The peninsula is bordered by China and Russia to the north, the Yellow Sea to the west, the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east, and Japan across the sea to the southeast. A small inset globe at the top left shows the peninsula's location in East Asia. — Korea Map of the Korean Peninsula, indicating northern and southern regions.

The division of Korea at the 38th parallel in 1945 was primarily a result of military and geopolitical strategy at the end of World War II.

In August 1945, the United States drafted General Order No. 1 to establish zones for the surrender of Japanese forces. Under this order, Japanese troops north of the 38th parallel were to surrender to the Soviet Union, while those south of the line were to surrender to the United States.12

Historians identify several motivations for this decision:
* Military Expediency: The line provided a practical administrative boundary for accepting the surrender of Japanese forces across the peninsula.1
* Preventing Soviet Domination: A key objective of U.S. policy was to prevent any single power from dominating Korea. By establishing a presence in the south, the United States aimed to stop the Soviet advance and ensure a balance of power.1

While intended as a temporary measure, the division became a permanent de facto partition as the Cold War intensified, leading to the establishment of separate regimes in the North and South.123