Why did Japan’s surrender in 1945 lead to Korea’s division?

The division of Korea following Japan’s surrender in 1945 was primarily a result of military and geopolitical arrangements between the United States and the Soviet Union.12

As World War II neared its end, U.S. military planners drafted General Order No. 1, which designated the 38th parallel as a temporary boundary for accepting the Japanese surrender. Under this order, Japanese forces north of the line were to surrender to the U.S.S.R., while those south of the line were to surrender to the United States.13

While intended as a temporary administrative measure, the division hardened due to the onset of the Cold War. Historians often cite two primary motivations for this decision:32
* Military Expediency: To facilitate the orderly surrender of Japanese troops across the peninsula.1
* Geopolitical Strategy: To prevent the Soviet Union from occupying the entire Korean peninsula, thereby ensuring no single power dominated the region.1

These zones eventually solidified into separate regimes in 1948, leading to the establishment of North Korea and South Korea.32