38th parallel
The 38th parallel is a notable geographic boundary that became the dividing line between North and South Korea following World War II. Established in 1945 after Japan's defeat, this division arose from occupation zones set by the United States and the Soviet Union. The political separation led to the formation of two distinct nations: North Korea, governed by a communist regime, and South Korea, a democratic state. The division has resulted in ongoing tensions, exemplified by the Korean War, which began in 1950 when North Korean forces invaded the South, leading to a conflict that resulted in millions of casualties and ended in an armistice in 1953.
Today, the 38th parallel symbolizes the enduring divide, with the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) situated along this line, marking a heavily guarded buffer between the two Koreas. Despite the armistice, both nations remain technically at war, as a formal peace treaty has never been established. In recent years, North Korea's development of nuclear weapons has raised international concerns, particularly after it conducted multiple missile tests and declared itself a nuclear weapons state. This ongoing military tension continues to impact regional security and the prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
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38th parallel
The 38th parallel is a geographic boundary that divided Korea after WWII (1939–1945), resulting in the creation of North Korea and South Korea. The division was intended to create temporary occupation zones by the United States and then-ally Soviet Union after the departure of the Japanese. However, Korean unification has yet to occur and the political border dividing North Korea and South Korea still exists.
Starting in 2006, North Korea became an international concern when it publicly debuted its nuclear weapons program. Between 2006 and 2017, the country conducted six nuclear tests and declared itself a nuclear weapons state in 2022. North Korea significantly increased the number of missile tests it conducted in 2022.
Background
Before World War II, the Empire of Japan occupied the Korean Peninsula. After Japan’s defeat in WWII, the Allies split the peninsula along the 38th parallel north in 1948. US troops occupied the southern portion, known then as the Republic of Korea and now as South Korea. The Soviets occupied the north, which was known then as the People’s Republic of Korea and is now known as North Korea. A border conflict between the two Koreas ensued.
On June 25, 1950, about 90,000 North Korean soldiers moved south across most of the breadth of the 38th parallel by foot, train and Soviet tanks. Their goal was to take over American-supported South Korea. In just three days, North Korean troops took Seoul and South Korea put its army under the jurisdiction of the United Nations. The UN coalition included the United States, Canada, England, Australia, France and eighteen other countries. A three-year conflict claimed the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians.
The Korean War ended on July 27, 1953, with the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. This agreement suspended all open hostilities; withdrew military forces and equipment from a 4,000-meter wide area (known as the demilitarized zone or DMZ) between the forces; prevented both sides from entering the air, ground or sea areas controlled by the other side; arranged for the release and repatriation of prisoners of war and those who had been displaced; and established the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) along with other agencies to discuss violations and adherence to the truce terms. However, the war resulted in virtually no change in the border.
Topic Today
Today, the 38th parallel continues to represent a political border between North Korea and South Korea. About 35 miles north of Seoul, South Korea, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) runs close to the 38th parallel. It is a 148-mile long and 2-mile wide area of land that marks the division of North and South Korea. The Military Demarcation Line is the actual border between the two countries and is heavily manned on both sides. Although there have only been a few minor altercations between the countries over the years, the two countries are technically still at war since the DMZ was set up through an armistice and not a peace treaty. The continued existence of the 38th parallel has separated generations of families on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea became a concern for countries across the world because of its nuclear weapons program, which was first demonstrated in 2006. Pyongyang, the country’s political and economic center, conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, and continued to grow its military despite United Nations Security Council resolutions. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un deployed long-range missile launches and other tests in 2019 following two summits with then-US president Donald Trump.
In 2022, North Korea significantly increased the number of missile tests it conducted, jumping to nearly ninety compared to ten in 2021. The BBC reported that North Korea is in possession of at least eight different types of missiles, with launch ranges between 932 miles to over 9,320 miles. Several of these are capable of hitting the United States mainland, and experts believe that the unveiling of these missiles was a message to the United States of North Korea’s growing military capabilities. In October 2022, the country fired a missile that flew over Japan. In November 2022, the country tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, which the Japanese government said could have reached US mainland if launched on a lower flying path. The missile was unveiled in October 2020. It is believed to have a range of more than 9,320 miles and the capacity to carry three to four warheads.
The last time North Korea tested a nuclear bomb was in 2017. The bomb, which was tested at the Punggye-ri test site, was six times more powerful than the one the United States dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. North Korea declared this was their first thermonuclear device, which is the most powerful type of atomic weapon. In 2018, after a number of underground tests at Punggye-ri, North Korea declared they would shut the site down because it had verified its nuclear capabilities. Also in 2018, Kim Jong-un made a promise to then-President Donald Trump that North Korea would destroy all of its nuclear material enrichment facilities. In 2021, the United States stated that complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was the goal. President Joe Biden said the United States would accomplish this through diplomacy and “stern deterrence.” However, in September 2022, BBC reported that North Korea had passed a law declaring itself a nuclear weapons state. Kim Jong-un said the decision was irreversible. The law also laid out North Korea’s right to use preemptive nuclear strike to protect itself. Satellite images released earlier that year suggested that renovation of the Punggye-ri site had started as well.
North Korea and South Korea also remain in conflict, with tensions spiking in 2022 when Pyongyang fired a record number of ballistic missiles towards its southern neighbor. Swedish military expert Peder Foss said he believed that the North Korean government knows it cannot launch an invasion into South Korea unless the United States and South Korean military bases are destroyed. The only way to do this, he said, is by use of nuclear weapons. He added that North Korea would likely aim to hit US military assets in Japan, Okinawa, and Guam as well.
Bibliography
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Foss, Peder. “The 38th Parallel: Who will Prevail?” Asanas Foundation, 26 Nov. 2022, usanasfoundation.com/the-38th-parallel-who-will-prevail. Accessed 20 Jan. 2023.
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“North Korea Declares Itself a Nuclear Weapons State.” BBC, 9 Sept. 2022, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62845958. Accessed 20 Jan. 2023.
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