North and South Korea

South Korean Flag

North Korean Flag

At the end of World War II, the Korean peninsula was divided into a northern zone occupied by Soviet forces and a southern zone occupied by US forces. In 1948 these zones became the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The boundary between the two zones was formed at the 38th parallel. In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea in an effort to unite the two countries into one country under communist rule. The invasion resulted in a war which involved the United States. The war lasted until 1953 and ended in a stalemate (no winner). The boundary between the two countries remains at the 38 th parallel is now a demilitarized zone.

DMZ – Demilitarized Zone an area where military equipment and activity are prohibited Pictures of the DMZ (scroll down & note there are a few pages of pictures) Korean DMZ Pictures After the Korean War (June – July ), South Korea and North Korea established a border that cut the Korean peninsula roughly in half. The border is the Korean DMZ. Because the Korean war ended in a stalemate and of hostility between the North and the South, large numbers of troops are still stationed along both sides of the line, each side guarding against potential aggression from the other side. The DMZ is 155 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. Sporadic outbreaks of violence due to North Korean hostilities killed over 500 South Korean soldiers and 50 U.S. soldiers along the DMZ between 1953 and However, despite the fact that this is the most heavily armed border in the world, it is extremely rare that any fighting takes place.

Post War South Korea has a thriving economy and ranks in the top for producers of Asia. South Korea exports goods such as automobiles, textiles, and electronics and has a skilled work force. North Korea is a closed society under a communist dictatorship and the country is not as urbanized or industrialized as South Korea. In such a restrictive society, it is difficult - if not impossible - for residents to get news of the outside world, and for the outside world to see in.

Pictures from North Korea - Part 1 Click on at least one of the following link sto look at photos from North Korea: Pictures from North Korea - Part 3 Pictures from North Korea Part 2

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VIEW A POWERPOINT OF SOUTH KOREA Pictures of South Korea 3 Pictures of South Korea 4 Pictures of South Korea 1 Pictures of South Korea 2