38th parallel north

[1] Starting at the Prime Meridian heading eastward, the 38th parallel north passes through: Japan had ruled the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945.

When Japan surrendered in August 1945, the 38th parallel was established as the boundary between Soviet and American occupation zones.

On 25 June 1950, after a series of cross-border raids and gunfire from both the Northern and the Southern sides, the North Korean Army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea.

This sparked United Nations Security Council Resolution 82 which called for the North to return its troops to behind the 38th parallel, commencing the Korean War with United Nations troops (mostly American) helping South Korean troops to defend South Korea.

This Military Demarcation Line is surrounded by a Demilitarized Zone.