Cold War Files: All Units: Events: Korea Partitioned Along 38th Parallel

In August of 1945 the Soviet Union and the United States agreed to divide Korea along the 38th parallel in order to accept the surrender of Japanese forces. The two armies occupied Korea, effectively dividing it into North and South zones. When the peninsula was partitioned in 1945 it was never intended to be a permanent division, but it was assumed that Korea would be unified under one freely formed government.