Answer:
After World War II, Korea was divided into two zones of occupation - the Soviet Union occupied the northern part of Korea, while the United States occupied the southern part. In 1948, the two zones became separate countries: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) in the north, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in the south. The division was supposed to be temporary, with the goal of reunification, but this never happened due to political and ideological differences between the two sides. In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, starting the Korean War, which further solidified the division of the country along the 38th parallel.