Korean Peninsula

A peninsula in northeastern Asia occupied by North Korea and South Korea. Its political division dates to the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War.

Japanese rule of Korea: The period from 1910 to 1945 when Korea was annexed and governed by the Japanese Empire. Japanese colonial rule ended with Japan’s defeat, leaving Korea divided into occupation zones.
Peninsula: A landform surrounded by water on most sides and connected to a larger landmass. The Korean Peninsula’s landform links East Asia to the seas around Korea.
North Korea: A sovereign state in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, officially called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It governs the peninsula’s northern portion under a separate political system.
Korean Demilitarized Zone: A buffer zone established by the 1953 armistice between North Korea and South Korea. It marks the heavily guarded land boundary separating the two states.
Japanese archipelago: A chain of islands in the western Pacific that includes Japan’s four main islands. Its island geography contrasts with Korea’s land connection to continental Asia.
Division of Korea: The separation of Korea into northern and southern political zones after World War II. The division turned the peninsula’s postwar occupation boundary into a lasting political partition.
East Asia: A region of Asia that includes China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. The peninsula sits between major East Asian powers and maritime routes.
South Korea: A sovereign state in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, officially called the Republic of Korea. It governs the peninsula’s southern portion and claims continuity with a unified Korea.
Korean Peninsula energy development organization: An international consortium established in 1995 to implement a nuclear agreement with North Korea. It illustrates how the peninsula’s division has drawn outside powers into diplomacy.
Taiwan: An island in East Asia governed by the Republic of China. Its contested status offers a distinct comparison with Korea’s division into two states.

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