North and South Korea have agreed, in principle, to declare a formal end to the Korean War

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South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said that an agreement in principle had been reached by both countries and their respective allies, China and the US

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The Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953, split the peninsula into two ( North Korea and South Korea ), but the war technically has never ended. The conflict ended in an armistice (to stop fighting for some time), not a peace treaty.

The US fought alongside South Korea during the war, and China backed North Korea.

South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said that an agreement in principle had been reached by both countries and their respective allies, China and the US. 

Background

  • Japanese occupied Korea between 1910- 1945.
  • When the Japanese got defeated in WW2, it was agreed in principle to establish a “four-power trusteeship over Korea” consisting of the USA, Great Britain, the USSR, and China. 
  • But, the USSR invaded Korea and took control of the north. The South remained under the rest of the allies, mainly the USA.
  • The two regions were divided along the 38th parallel north, which still continues to be the official border dividing the two Koreas.
  • In 1948 the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) were established.
  • However, the world started witnessing the start of the cold war between the USSR and the USA for hegemony. To establish their clout, both the countries tried to spread and impose their ideology on countries that were still trying to chart out their course of action. 
  • Korean War – In 1950, North Korea, backed by the USSR, launched an attack on South Korea and occupied most of the country. In response, the USA retaliated.
  • In 1951, US forces crossed the 38th parallel triggering China’s entry in support of North Korea.
  • Finally, in 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, leading to an official ceasefire but without any peace treaty. 
  • Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was established – It is a strip of land across the Korean Peninsula that acts as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. DMZ roughly follows the 38th parallel, the original demarcation line between North Korea and South Korea at the end of World War II.

For the complete story and everything you need to know about North-South Korea relations – Watch the video here

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Source: BBC