1. THE KOREAS A DIVIDED LAND

2. KEY TERMS DEMILITARIZED ZONE an area in which no weapons are allowed. TRUCE cease-fire agreement DIVERSIFY to add variety to FAMINE a huge food shortage

3. FLAG OF NORTH KOREA

4. FLAG OF SOUTH KOREA

8. North Korea and South Korea have a border unlike any other in the whole World. It is a simple line on the map but former President called it “The Scariest Place on Earth” The border runs through the DMZ (demilitarized zone). The DMZ is about 2.5 miles wide and 151 miles long. Barbed wire, land mines, watchtowers and thousands of weapons line both sides.

13. On North Korea’s side around 1 million troops guard the border. South Korea has about 600,000. Why this region got divided and why the DMZ exists here?

14. KOREAN WAR It was a war between South Korea (supported by United Nations and USA) and North Korea (supported by Soviet and China). When Japan invaded Taiwan and Korea which started the World War II, USA joined in and fought against Japan with its allies. Japan got defeated and its troops retreated. After Japanese the North part of Korea were taken over by Soviet and the Southern part by USA.

15. The Koreans were not asked about this division. With the passage of time these two parts became more and more farther away from each other. After a few years North Korea wanted to join back with the South so they invaded them, but the US military troops fought them away. Now these two parts are two independent countries with different forms of governments.

16. NORTH KOREA: ECONOMIC CHALLENGES North Korea is a Communist country under a dictatorship. The government runs the economy. They have kept themselves closed to the rest of the World. North Korea is rich in mineral resources but they don’t have the latest technology to use those resources.

17. They manufacture poor quality stuff in government owned factories. Also, they are not working to diversify their products. This is the reason their economy is very weak. In 1995 North Korea faces famine and 220,000 people died due to starvation, because their farming methods are outdated. Food shortage is still an issue on North Korea. Many countries and international organizations provide them food aid. In 2005 the government stopped accepting any help of food.

18. SOUTH KOREA: ECONOMIC GROWTH In 1950s South Korea hardly had any resources or industries but, 50 years later they have become a leading economic power. They have a democracy with free enterprise system. After World War II they focused on making cloth and processed food. Later they build other heavy industries like shipbuilding etc.

19. They are exporters of radios, televisions computers. They produce silicon chips that are used in computers. They have oil refineries and make products like plastic, rubber etc. The government has helped farmers by using new technology in farming, also by providing good housing, roads, water supply and electricity in villages. It does not have enough raw material to manufacture things. So they import oil, iron, steel and chemicals.

20. YEARS OF TENSION The Koreans on both sides hope that one day North Korea and South Korea will once again be one country, but relations of the two remains the same since World War II. In 2000 the leaders of both countries met in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea and agreed to work towards peace and cooperation. The capital of South Korea is Seoul.

21. THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS In 2002, North Korea’s government announced that they have been developing nuclear weapons. This destroyed all the hopes of peace between the two countries. In 2005 they announced that they have made nuclear weapons. Later that year “Six-Party Talks” among North Korea, USA, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea led to a new agreement, that in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons, North Korea would get increased aid and diplomatic relations.

22. In 2005, U.S. President George W Bush visited several countries in Asia. On that trip he said: “ We Will not forget the people of North Korea. The 21 st century will be freedom’s century for all Koreans and one day every citizen of that peninsula will live in dignity and freedom and prosperity at home, and in peace with their neighbors abroad.”