38th parallel
Topic: Paths to Modernisation: Japan, China, Korea · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 7 "Paths to Modernisation"
Meaning
The 38th parallel is a line of latitude across the Korean peninsula. In 1945, after Japanese rule ended, Korea was divided along this line. Soviet forces managed the north, and the US, under the UN, managed the south. In 1948 separate governments were set up in the two halves, and the division became lasting.
Example
The Korean War (1950–53) was fought between North and South Korea. It became a proxy war in the Cold War, meaning a war fought on behalf of the two superpowers. It ended with an armistice in July 1953, and the country stayed divided.
Don't confuse with
- Cairo Declaration (1943): This agreement restored Taiwan to China. Korea did not get unified freedom. It got the 38th-parallel division.
Related concepts
- Taiwan
- Cross-Strait relations
- Joseon dynasty
- Japanese annexation of Korea
- Korean War
- Park Chung-hee
- Export-oriented industrialisation
- Import substitution industrialisation
- Saemaul Movement
- Gwangju Democratisation Movement