Answer:
After World War II, Korea was occupied by separate zones controlled by the Soviet Union in the north and the United States in the south. The 38th parallel was established as the dividing line between the two zones, with the Soviet Union occupying the north of the line and the United States occupying the south. This division was intended to be temporary, but as tensions grew between the two superpowers during the Cold War, the division became more permanent.
In 1948, separate governments were established in the north and south of Korea, with the Soviet-backed government in the north and the U.S.-backed government in the south. The two governments had different political ideologies and economic systems, with the North being communist and the South being capitalist.
In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, sparking the Korean War. The war lasted until 1953, when an armistice was signed that established a demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas. The DMZ remains in place to this day, and the two Koreas have never signed a peace treaty, meaning that technically they are still at war.
Since the end of the Korean War, North and South Korea have pursued very different paths of development. The North has remained a one-party communist state, while the South has become a vibrant democracy and one of the world's largest economies. Relations between the two Koreas have been tense and often hostile, with occasional outbreaks of violence and provocations from both sides.