Why is there a North and South Korea?

Seven decades after the two countries went to war a delicate armistice is beginning to fray

Korean War
A South Korean girl and her brother flee fighting in Haengju in June 1951
(Image credit: US Army/Wikimedia)

Seventy years ago this week, North Korea’s invasion of South Korea instigated a conflict that led to millions of deaths - and tensions that are still very much alive today.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More