Why Did Korea Split in to North and South¿

This video was made possible by WIX. If you're ready to create a website, head over to wix.com slash go slash infographics to try out one of their premium plans right now. Relations between North and South Korea have been rather tense for some time, which might be an understatement, but this year we saw North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un walk over the border to shake hands with South Korea's president Moon Jae-in. Until then, most South Koreans, and most of the world for that matter, saw the North's head honcho as some kind of evil dictator. After the meeting, some South Koreans referred to him as a cute teddy bear. So, is everything ok now, following handshakes and slaps on the shoulder? Well, even though a third summit has been proposed between the two leaders, right now the North isn't exactly in the USA's good books. South Korea's big brother certainly watches over this relationship like a brooding mother. Let's have a look at how this division started, in this episode of The Infographics Show, Why Did North and South Korea Split? You probably already know that North and South Koreans are very similar in many ways, even culturally. The language is pretty much exactly the same, except for a few small differences. You could say that North Korea likes to keep the language free from impurities, such as borrowing words from English, but besides regional dialects being slightly different, we can say you speak Korean, not North or South Korean. North and South Korea originally came together in the 7th century under the Silla dynasty, they remained united up until 1945. So, what happened? How could a country united for so long suddenly just split in two? The answer is war, the Second World War. But it's a bit more complicated than that. Prior to the Second World War there was something called the First Sino-Japanese War, which was a war between China and Japan between 1884 and 1895. Based on the western industrial model, Japan had become a very powerful country in the 19th century, no longer a backwater as the members of the British Empire used to call it. Japan emerged as an empire itself. Korea, on the other hand, had been rather fearful of foreigners and western industrialization, especially the elite that ruled over the country. They didn't want outsiders messing in their business. But then, in 1880, things started to change. Korean diplomats went on a mission to Japan that year. While in Japan, they were presented with a study from a Chinese diplomat which was called, A Strategy for Korea. In part, that study warned that the Russians were coming. It also said, Stay friendly with us, the Chinese, and don't get on the wrong side of Japan. Japan wasn't an immediate threat at that time, but the Chinese diplomat advised the Koreans to stay close with the burgeoning nation. At the same time, Korea was also advised to form good relations with the United States, who also could provide protection from the Russian juggernaut. In 1882, Korea signed a treaty with the US called the Treaty of Peace, Amnesty, Commerce, and Navigation. So far, so good. Open trade, modern industries, and the bonus of added protection. But there was a catch. The Chinese wanted the treaty to say that Korea belonged to China. The Americans were not keen on that and insisted that Korea was independent. In the end, they agreed that Korea had a kind of independent status, but was still a tributary state of China. To cut a long story short, China had a massive influence on Korea and tried to reform the country. That was in line with embracing some western ideals and using western technology. So, Korea became more modernized to some extent. China just kept pushing, and soon was involved in running Korea as well as dispatching its own troops there. We can't spend too much time on this, but the war between the Japanese and China was fought partly in Korea. Japan came out on top, and in 1910 the country annexed the Korean peninsula. From then until the end of the Second World War, Korea was part of the Japanese empire. This wasn't exactly great news for many Koreans, as some historians say the Japanese treated them like second-class citizens. But then the war ended, and Japan was on the losing side. What to do with Korea? That was in the hands of the winners, the allied powers. No more empire for you, said the allies to Japan. It was up to the USA to take over the administration side of Korea. But it wasn't keen on the idea of running the country. The Soviet Union was keen, and wanted the land it thought it deserved. Russia had lost a war with Japan in the early 20th century called the Russo-Japanese War. That's why the Soviets, to some extent at least, thought they deserved control of Korea. Underdeveloped Korea for so long had been standing between these giants of Japan, China, and Russia, and basically everyone at some point wanted a piece of it. Or should we say, all of it. It was actually quite surprising that the Japanese had defeated the Russian empire, and so perhaps Russia had been left with some egg on its face. After winning wars both against China and Russia, the West knew that Japan certainly was a mightier power. But that ended with its defeat at the hands of the US in the Two Americans called Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel had the responsibility of making borders in the US-occupied territories in East Asia. They came up with the idea of splitting Korea into two, almost in half, divided by what's called the 38th parallel. This was done without Korea having a word in it. The Americans said that half the country would be run by the Soviets, and half by them. Not surprisingly, America got the better half of the cake, which included the more modern city of Seoul. That's not to say the North was an outback, it too had many major heavy industries. The South had the light industries. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and President Roosevelt agreed to the split, while the Koreans were not even invited to the meeting. Of course, many Koreans were passionately against this, but not those that had ties to the Soviet Communist Party. Actually, at the end of the war many Koreans from the North and South were over the moon. Finally, they would get their independence back, brothers in arms. They embraced and planned for the future together, but of course that didn't happen. Brothers in arms were about to become quarreling siblings. Soviet forces quickly took control from the Japanese forces in the North, and in the South the same happened with the Americans. Easy. Well, not really. The US, as we know, was afraid of the spread of communism as one might fear an outbreak of Ebola. The country didn't even want any of the South Korean political parties to have much say in how the now half-country was run, just in case they leaned ever so slightly to the left. As things turned out, the US wanted both North and South to have a democratic government and democratic principles, while the Soviets wanted the entire peninsula to be communist. Now we have a divide of the former two allies, although America had been wary of communism for a long time. The US and Soviet leaders were even supposed to meet in 1948 to discuss the idea of reunifying Korea and leaving the country to its own devices, but both countries were so afraid of the other that this didn't happen. In 1948 the Americans pretty much installed their own idea of a good leader for the South. A staunch anti-communist called Syngman Rhee, the Soviets installed Kim Il-sung as leader. He'd been a fighter in the Red Army, and of course was a puppet for the Soviet Empire, as much as Rhee was the puppet for the empire that dare not speak its name, i.e. America. Like Stalin, the North had to be ruled by a godlike character, and a cult of personality was sewn into the minds of those Koreans living in the North. You must remember, at this point the Koreans were still just Koreans. They'd been split in half without any say in it. Of course, many North Koreans weren't on board with such things as supreme leaders, and all that attendant propaganda, but if you've read Plato you'll have heard of the Noble Lie. Plato said that if the elite must rule, they must tell a huge whopper, create a mythology for the not-so-clever public consumption. Plato said that it was noble because the normal folks need this lie to bring them together under one great myth, just as religion brought people together under one truth. Plato said if the first generation don't buy it, the second will mostly, and you'll have the third completely if you fill their heads with this idea from being children. That's how many North Koreans became so enamored with their godly leader. Well, that and fear. But then in 1950 Kim Il-sung got ambitious and decided he wanted to rule the whole peninsula. That was the start of a three-year-long war called the Korean War. The Americans joined the South with other countries of the United Nations, and they defeated the North. Three million people died, and in the end nothing at all really changed. Korea was still divided at the 38th parallel. After that, the Demilitarized Zone was set up to prevent more blood from being spilled, and to prevent people from reuniting or escaping. People did get through though, most of them northerners trying to get into the South. Both countries though soon became enemies, or at least enemies in ideals. The North was strictly communist with its Korean Workers Party, and the South espoused capitalism, individual freedom, and American values. The Americans have kept bases in Korea since. As you watch this, there are about 28,000 US troops based in South Korea. Will they stay, or will they go? Well, you'll have to keep your eyes on the news. Sadly, some North and South Koreans still hate each other, but one thing we guarantee is you won't hate Wix. With free hosting and hundreds of ready-to-use templates, Wix has every creative solution you need to make a fantastic site. And we mean every solution. In a rush or is design not your strong point? No problem, Wix ADI will whip up a stunning website for you in seconds just by asking you a few simple questions. Click the link in the description below, or go to wix.com slash go slash infographics today and check out just how fast and easy Wix makes it to have your own amazing site. Could any of this have been avoided? Would you hate the other half of Korea if you lived in either the North or the South? Are you Korean? Let us know in the comments. Also, be sure to check out our other video called North Koreans vs South Koreans. How do they compare? Thanks for watching, and as always, don't forget to like, share and subscribe.