History glossary
38th parallel
the latitude line used in 1945 to divide Soviet and American occupation zones in Korea.
- Category
- Political boundary
- Region
- Korean Peninsula
- Date range
- from 1945
What it means
The 38th parallel is a line of latitude at 38 degrees north. In Korea, Allied planners used it in 1945 as a temporary boundary between Soviet forces in the north and American forces in the south. That improvised division hardened into the political split between North and South Korea.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Cold War
Rivalry between East and West shapes global politics - through proxy wars, propaganda, and nuclear tension.
The Kim Dynasty
North Korea’s Kim dynasty built a nuclear-armed regime, maintaining power through crises and control.
The Korean War
A Cold War conflict that divided Korea, ending in stalemate and a lasting unresolved border.
