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THE AFTERMATH DEMARCATION OF THE 38TH PARALLELJessica Blazas

Allyson Grant

Ms. Mancini

March 24th, 2011

“38th Parallel North” Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. 2010-2011. Web.

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THESIS STATEMENT As a goal of the United Nations to keep the

peace and to stop North Korea from invading South Korea, the UN entered a conflict that expanded into what they did not realize would be a problem to this day.

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BRIEF HISTORYTHE 38TH PARALLEL Potsdam Conference, Germany, July 1945

Formation of the United Nations Discussed peace agreements following WWII

At the Moscow Conference, the US, Britain, and the USSR discussed a five year trusteeship for Korea’s future. The three country leaders decided South Korea

would be occupied by the US (democratic) and North Korea would be occupied by the Soviets (communist).

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BRIEF HISTORYTHE INVASION In June 1950, North Korean troops, supplied

by the USSR, invaded its South Korean neighbors. President Truman feared North Korea would take

over and inspire other communist nations to invade neighboring non-communist nations (The Domino Theory).

After the invasion, North Korean troops controlled much of the peninsula. South Korean troops were pushed into Pusan.

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BRIEF HISTORYINCHON AND THE CHINESE INVASION

General Douglas MacArthur drafted “Operation Chromite” A daring and controversial plan to invade the

western port city, Inchon. The successful invasion allowed the US, UN,

and South Korean troops to push North Korean troops close to the Yalu River and recapture the South Korean capital, Seoul.

When the Chinese invaded at the Yalu River, there was a stalemate along the original 38th Parallel (July 1951-July 1953).

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"American Experience . MacArthur . Korean Maps | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

The Pusan PerimeterOperation Chromite:

Inchon Invasion

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SIGNIFICANCETHE UNITED NATIONS The United Nations achieved its goal to

make peace between feuding nations and stop the spread of communism.

The National Security Council (NSC) was founded on the idea of “stopping Communism expansion by giving economic and military aid to various countries.”

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) created treaties and agreements to stop and ban the use of nuclear weapons in the international community.

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SIGNIFICANCE THE UNITED NATIONS: EGYPT AND LIBYA

 "Egypt Protests." LUNEBORGSTAR. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

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SIGNIFICANCE NORTH VS. SOUTH KOREA ARMISTICE South Korean President, Syngman Rhee,

refused to sign a peace treaty that did not reunite his home country.

The agreement both countries signed is the only truce that impedes North Korea and South Korea (and the US) from entering another war. The agreement included a deferral to open

hostilities, the fixed demarcation line (demilitarized zone) and to trade prisoners of war to their correct side.

The 38th Parallel is a 2 ½ wide demilitarized zone that still divides the two countries.

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SIGNIFICANCENORTH VS. SOUTH

North Korea has remained communist and is supported by China and Russia.

Several sanctions have been placed on North Korea, especially by the US.

The government does not recognize the 38th Parallel as the border between the two countries.

North Korea lacks modernization and innovation.

South Korea has remained democratic Elected presidents serve

for a set number of years

As an ally of the US, has opened trade.

Modernized the US’s standards

North Korea South Korea

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COMPARISONNorth Korea South Korea

Axe, David. "North Korea Preps Hovercraft Assault Force | Danger Room | Wired.com."Wired.com. 3

Feb. 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. 

"Programs  Brochure  Education Abroad." Education Abroad. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. 

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SIGNIFICANCE TENSIONS Allied officers are still stationed in South

Korea and patrol the 38th Parallel. On November 29th, 1987, two agents, acting

on direct orders from Kim Jong-il, planted a bomb on a South Korean airliner (South Korean Air Flight 858). The explosion killed 115 passengers.

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SIGNIFICANCETENSIONS On March 29th, 2010, South Korea blamed

North Korea over a sinking of a warship. On November 23rd, 2010, North Korea

launched an attack on South Korea, killing two soldiers. Both countries denied blame “Tuesday’s skirmish along the disputed frontier

has raised tensions between the rivals to their highest level in more than a decade” (qtd. in “Yeonpyeong Charred”).

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SIGNIFICANCETENSIONS In early February, North Korea discontinued

peace and military talks with South Korea. The North Korean government accused South Korea of

lacking serious intent to improve relations. South Korea told North Korea that both countries cannot

have a high-level talk unless North Korea takes “sincere, responsible measures” over recent attacks.

North Korea accused South Korea of walking out of the meeting after North Korea did not accept its demand.

Steve Herman | Seoul  February. "North Korea Rules Out Further Military Talks With South | Asia | English." News |

English. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

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CONCLUSION“AMERICA’S FORGOTTEN WAR” The Korean War may not be up to par with World War I,

World War II, or the Vietnam War in the eyes of Americans, but the struggles that the soldiers had to overcome were no different than those in wars of other caliber. The American, British, French, Canadian, and Australian men and women gave their lives for others belonging to another nation, willingly, to better the South Koreans’ lives and to save them from communist dictatorship. It is sad to admit that many Americans do not know or care about the events that took place in Korea. Since the war was merely a shadow in the victory of WWII, Americans did not familiarize or engross themselves in the ideas of why America even went to war in the first place. After all, it is informally known as America’s Forgotten War.

16"Korean War Memorial." Washington State Department of General

Administration. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

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SONGS

“Suicide is Painless” by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman

“The Weapon of Prayer” by the Louvin Brothers

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WORKS CITED“38th Parallel North.” Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. 2010-2011. Web.Axe, David. “North Korea Preps Hovercraft Assault Force | Danger Room | Wired.com.” Wired.com. Web.“Bombed Jet, Woman Gets Death Penalty.” Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada] 26 Apr. 1989: A8. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.Fitzgerald, Brian. The Korean War: America's Forgotten War. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point, 2006. Print. Foster, Peter. “Korean Talks End in Deadlock with North.” Montreal Gazette - Breaking News, Quebec, Opinion, Multimedia & More. Web.“Korean War Memorial.” General Administration: State of Washington. 2006. Web.Paschall, Rod. Witness to War: Korea. New York, NY: Berkley Pub. Group, 1995. Print.Sang-Hun, Choe. “South Korea Publicly Blames the North for Ship’s Sinking.” The New York Times. 19 May 2010. Web.Smitha, Frank E. “The Korean War.” MacroHistory : World History. 2001-2011. Web.

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WORKS CITED CONT Summers, Harry G. Korean War Almanac. New York: Facts on File,

1990. Print. “UN Rights Council Recommends Suspending Libya, Orders Inquiry

into Abuses.” Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. 25 Feb. 2011. Web.

“United Nations Security Council.” Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. 2011. Web.

“UNODA Nuclear Weapons Home Page.” Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. Web.

“The World’s Most Complex Borders ~ North Korea/South Korea | Wide Angle | PBS.” PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. 26 July 2005. Web.

“Yeonpyeong Charred, Desolate After N. Korea Attack : NPR.” NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. 25 Nov. 2010. Web.

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IMAGES CITED “38th Parallel North” Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.

2010-2011. Web.  Axe, David. "North Korea Preps Hovercraft Assault Force | Danger

Room | Wired.com."Wired.com. 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.  "Egypt Protests." LUNEBORGSTAR. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. "Korean War Memorial." Washington State Department of General

Administration. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. "Programs  Brochure  Education Abroad." Education Abroad. Web. 22

Mar. 2011.  Steve Herman | Seoul  February. "North Korea Rules Out Further

Military Talks With South | Asia | English." News | English. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.