Chapter 17Section 3

1945- Koreans celebrated Japanese defeat in WWII with joy and hope

After WWII, U.S. and Soviets agreed to let Korea regain independence

Troops were sent to Korea to accept Japanese surrender Soviets occupied above 38th parallel U.S. occupied below 38th parallel

As cold war rivalries increased, Soviets helped communists gain power in the North

Likewise, U.S. back non-communists in the south 1948- Korea officially split into North and South Korea

Clashes still occurred between the two UN Involvement

U.S. saw N. Korea invasion as communist threat UN voted to send troops to S. Korea With these troops, both the South and the North

fought constantly Aftermath of the War

Stalemate ending 1953 – both signed armistice Korea was still divided at the 38th parallel The war left the two areas in a ruinous state

Government With confucian background, authoritarian rule was

accepted Syngman Rhee, 1st president, and other

successors were strict about people’s freedoms They believed this was necessary to regain stability and

promote economic growth 1960 – protests forced Rhee to resign 1980s- democratic elections took place Today, the government is still suppressive but

oppostion groups have also won rights

Economic Growth 1953- faced great difficulty with rebuilding

cities because of the great refugee population With aid from the U.S., great progress has been

made and today it is one of the most industrialized Asian countries

Government has tight control over the market Exports: automobiles, textiles, & electronics With industrialization also comes

environmental pollution

Social Change New middle class emerged Industry drew farmers to the urban areas Nuclear families are more common than

extended families Women have more rights and jobs in

factories Many Confucian traditions and values are

still in place

Closed society under communist dictatorship 1948-1994 Kim il Sung established

totalitarian state Complete obedience was to him

Isolated N.Korea to practice self-reliance Very few imports and exports today Kim Jong IL took over after his father After 1995, natural disasters resulted in

famine and economic failings It forced government to increase trade and permit

foreign investment

Hope to reunite land still exists A nonagression pact has been signed

after 1990s There is still fear and suspicion

between the two countries North Korea has nuclear weapons and

missiles which threaten many other countries around the world