38th parallel north
| 38th parallel north | |
|---|---|
 South Korean and UN troops withdraw behind the 38th parallel in the Korean War. |
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| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 삼팔선 |
| Hanja | 三八線 |
| Revised Romanization | Sampalseon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Samp'alsŏn |
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 38th parallel north has been especially important in the recent history of Korea.
At this latitude the sun is visible for 14 hours, 48 minutes during the summer solstice and 9 hours, 32 minutes during the winter solstice.[1]
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[edit] Around the world
Starting at the Prime Meridian heading eastwards, the 38th parallel north passes through:
[edit] Korea
The 38th parallel was first suggested as a dividing line for Korea in 1896.[2] Russia was attempting to pull Korea under its control, while Japan had just secured recognition of its rights in Korea from the British. In an attempt to prevent any conflict, Japan proposed to Russia that the two sides split Korea into separate spheres of influence along the 38th parallel. However, no formal agreement was ever reached, and Japan later took full control of Korea.
After the surrender of Japan in 1945, the parallel was established as the boundary by Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel of the US State-War Navy Coordinating Committee in Washington during the night of 10–11 August 1945, four days before the complete liberation of Korea. The parallel divided the peninsula roughly in the middle. In 1948, the dividing line became the boundary between the newly independent countries of North and South Korea. On 25 June 1950, after a series of cross border raids and gun fire from both the North and the South, North Korean forces crossed the parallel and invaded South Korea, sparking the Korean War.[3][Note 1]
After the Armistice ended the Korean War in 1953, a demarcation line was established through the middle of the Demilitarized Zone. This line crosses the 38th parallel at an acute angle, from southwest to northeast, now serves as the Military Demarcation Line between the two Koreas.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ During World War II, the Korean Liberation Army was preparing an assault against the Japanese in Korea in conjunction with American Office of Strategic Services, but the Japanese surrender prevented the execution of the plan. The government's goal was achieved with Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945." See Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
There remains much confusion regarding the actual date of the surrender of Japan; however, it was on 28 August 1945 that Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender. US assaults of the Japanese mainland, including aerial bombardment, continued through the morning hours of 15 August 1945, despite claims by some sources that the US was aware as early as 10 August 1945 of the Japanese emperor's acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Accord (effectively indicating surrender).
This suggests, but does not indicate, the language of the article about the Provisional ROK Government refers (however imprecisely) to the surrender of Japanese forces then controlling or otherwise operating in Korea; regardless, 2 September 1945 was more than three weeks after the "night of 10–11 August 1945" date indicated in the above paragraph.
Additionally, at least one source indicates US President Harry S. Truman did not present the 38th Parallel (north) as a recommended boundary for division of the Korean peninsula until 15 August 1945, and that Russian Marshal Josef V. Stalin did not acquiesce to the proposal until 16 August 1945.
[edit] References
- ^ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php
- ^ http://www.turkishweekly.net/article/161/turkish-brigade-in-korean-war-25th-june-26-nov-1950-.html
- ^ Nash, Gary B., The American People (6th edition), Pearson Longman (New York), 2008.
[edit] Further reading
- Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History. (1997)
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