Korea's division, 1945
38°00′N
A line chosen on a map in 1945 became the starting point of Korea's division.
After World War II, Soviet forces accepted Japan's surrender north of 38°N and US forces south of it. The Korean War changed the dividing line: today's demilitarized zone crosses this latitude rather than following it.
- occupation zones agreed August 1945
- the DMZ is not this parallel
Read about Korea's division, 1945
International lines & treaties
- Fifty-four forty, 1824 · 54°40′N
- US–Canada border, 1818 · 49°00′N
- Vietnam's Geneva line, 1954 · 17°00′N
- Antarctic Treaty limit, 1959 · 60°00′S
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