The Korean 1953 Armistice was a significant historical event which was part of the larger Cold war context. The armistice ended the direct fighting of the Korean war and established a division between the nations, North and South Korea. It was an attempt to ensure a complete ending of hostilities and acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement was achieved. Despite this, till this day both countries follow different ideologies and remain divided. The causes of the armistice was the cold war, invasion of the South and the stalemate of the Korean war. However, the consequences of this agreement is the absence of peace from the armistice, the division and the two different societies as a result.

An important cause of the 1953 armistice was the Cold war which began after World War II. It was a sustained state of political and military tension between the USSR (soviet union) and the U.S. Essentially, the cold war was a battle between their different ideologies, communism vs. capitalism. Throughout the cold war, there was no direct fighting, hence the name of the 'Cold' war. Following the withdrawal of the Japanese occupation in Korea in 1945, both USSR and U.S. occupied the country and divided Korea into North and South Korea. The USSR occupied the North which was ruled by communism while U.S occupied the South under capitalism. The division created increased tension between the two ideologies and countries resulting in the Korean war from 1950.

Another significant cause of the war which ultimately ended with the armistice was the invasion of the South. Interactions between Kim Il Sung, who was the supreme leader of North Korea and Josef Stalin, the Soviet Union's communist leader occurred. Initially, Stalin didn't think it was the right time for war in Korea. This was because communist forces were still fighting in China and USSR had no atomic bomb. However, after the communist victory in China and The Soviet Union's development of the atomic bomb in 1949 Stalin gave his permission to Kim Il Sung. On June 25, 1950, North Korea launched an attack across the thirty-eighth parallel. The South Korean military were unprepared and overwhelmed which resulted in the success of the invasion from the North.

The stalemate of the Korean war was also an influential cause of the armistice. There were four significant phases during the war. The first phase involved the the North invaded across the 38th parallel towards the Pusan perimeter in South Korea. The second phase resulted into US troops and UN forces landing in Inchon beyond the battle line to attack the North. UN forces pushed the North towards the Yalu river, which is the point which divides North Korea and China. However, the third phrase followed the event in which China intervened and forced US troops and UN forces towards the South. Finally, the fourth phase 1951-1953 was a stalemate, which neither sides would risk vast casualties as an attempt to gain complete victory. Therefore, the war had no complete victor and didn't change the divided situation which caused the armistice as a result.

A significant consequence of the armistice was the absence of peace from the agreement. The signed agreement was created to establish to bring an end to all hostilities for armed forces. The armistice acted as a ceasefire which was a temporary way to suspend the direct fighting. Therefore, there was no official peace treaty for the two countries and the Korean war didn't officially end. Despite this, the armistice was able to establish a Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ). The DMZ is a tense and fortified border which divides the countries. The demilitarized zone is 2.5 mile wide border which is heavily protected which creates a very un-unified tension. From this, the armistice had no effect on the tension of the countries due to the disunite settlement till today.

The permanent division between the North and South Korea is another consequence of the armistice. The 38th parallel acted as the division between the two countries before the armistice established the DMZ which officially divided the country. The countries still follow their different ideologies of communism and capitalism. Still under a communist way of living, the North follow the Juche ideology formed by Kim Il Sung. This ideology focuses on self-reliance and the importance of education and Korean history leading to a great revolution. South Korea is still under capitalism and democracy from the 1980's. So, these two countries symbolise the division of views and political governments. The armistice has resulted in this permanent division between the two countries.

However, the two different societies of North and South Korea is a resulting consequence of the armistice. From the suspension of direct fighting from the war, both countries were left in ruins with economic struggle. Despite this, South Korea was able to renew their country to become a prosperous state from the 1960's. The South has civil rights, democracy and freedom under capitalist rule. The country is considered an economic miracle due to their low base they developed from. Both their economy and military are some of the highest ranking. South Korea's industries are also becoming increasingly popular in the wider globe. Industries like telecommunications and music are are booming in Korea and other countries. For example, brands like Samsung are well known and commonly used competing with American brands. The K-pop wave is also emerging in many countries as tracks like 'Gangnam Style' by Psy is produced for a wide market.

Conversely, North Korea is one of the poorest and isolated countries in the world. They still follow communist rule and are under an effective monarch led by Kim Il Sung's grandson, Kim Jong Un. Their economy is very poor as money is invested in the countries military and nuclear necessities. Industries in the North follow a secretive and in-advanced trend. In comparison, though citizens of both countries are historically and ethnically the same, their lifestyles and focuses differ. Through their different political view, two divided and different countries is the result.

In conclusion, the Korean 1953 armistice was a highly significant event which held a large impact on societies. The causes of the agreement was the cold war, invasion of the South and the stalemate of the Korean war. Despite this, the consequences of this agreement is the absence of peace from the armistice, the division and the two different societies as a result. All of these events are related to the larger idea of the tension between communism vs. capitalism which has impacted countries like Korea.

	Created by Jennifer Yeoh over 11 years ago

NCEA Level 1,2 History Note on Essay:Korean 1953 Armistice, created by Jennifer Yeoh on 02/11/2013.