Where was Korea divided after World War II?

• A. 38th Parallel
• B. 17th Parallel
• C. 49th Parallel
• D. Demilitarized Zone

Answer: (A)

After World War II ended, Korea was liberated from Japanese rule and divided into two occupation zones: the north under Soviet influence and the south under American influence. The line chosen for this division ran along the 38th parallel north, effectively splitting the peninsula from coast to coast. This setup led to the formation of two separate governments and, eventually, the Korean War when the North attacked the South. The Demilitarized Zone was created after the war as a buffer along roughly the same area, but it represents the armistice-era boundary, not the initial postwar division. For comparison, the 17th parallel divided Vietnam after the Geneva Conference, and the 49th parallel is the U.S.–Canada border in other regions.