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Why are North and South Korea divided?
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Map of the Korean Peninsula highlighting North Korea and South Korea in orange, with the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) marked in a lighter orange separating the two countries. Surrounding countries, including China, Russia, and Japan, are also shown for context.
Why Are North and South Korea Divided?
Map of the Korean Peninsula showing the shifting front lines during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Key lines include the farthest advances by United States and United Nations forces, the farthest southern advance by North Korean and Chinese forces, and the final truce line, which deviates from the 38th parallel to add territory to both North and South Korea. Major cities such as Pyongyang and Seoul, as well as major rivers and the surrounding seas, are also labeled. Inter-Korean Summit at Panmunjom, centralĀ Korea, 2018
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Map of the Korean Peninsula highlighting North Korea and South Korea in orange, with the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) marked in a lighter orange separating the two countries. Surrounding countries, including China, Russia, and Japan, are also shown for context.
Korean Peninsula and the Demilitarized Zone North Korea and South Korea are separated by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a buffer zone established by the 1953 armistice that ended active fighting in the Korean War.

Why are North and South Korea divided?

Written by
Ethan Teekah
Ethan Teekah is an Associate Editor at EncyclopƦdia Britannica, where he leads coverage of Asia.
Ethan Teekah
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
ā€¢History

The division of the Korean Peninsula is one of the most enduring legacies of the Cold War. For more than a thousand years before its division in 1945, Korea existed as a unified state with a strong sense of cultural and national identity. Japanā€™s colonization of Korea, followed by the upheaval of World War II, set in motion the political and military developments that ultimately produced the modern states of North Korea and South Korea....

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