Korea

Question 1

What are the 3 key events which leads to the divide of Korea along the 38th parallel?

Answer 1

1. February 1945 - Yalta conference - USA and USSR agreed to defeat Japan in Korea.
2. 8th August 1945 - USSR declared war on Japan 2 days after the US bombing on Hiroshima.
3. 10th August 1945 - the USSR begins to defeat Japan in North Korea, triggering a response from the USA, who do the same in the South (to prevent the USSR gaining a communist foothold in south east Asia). Truman proposes a temporary division along the 38th parallel of Korea to defeat Japan.

Question 2

What did the Korean public try to do when japan was defeated on what date?

Answer 2

15th August 1945 - Korean People’s Republic was established, but the USA and USSR ignored this and continued their own policies in Korea.

Question 3

What was the plan for Korea from late 1945 to late 1946?

Answer 3

North Korea would be under the administration of the USSR and part of the UN trusteeship.

South Korea would be under the administration of the USA and part of the UN trusteeship.

Question 4

What were the 3 stages of the plan under the UN trusteeship?

Answer 4

1. August 1945 - August 1948 - Temporary divide along the 38th parallel - the UN believed Korea wouldn’t be able to self govern, due to its years under the Japanese empire).
2. August 1948 - UN oversees elections in Korea as to whether or not Korea becomes self governing.
3. US and USSR troops leave Korea and Korea becomes reunited as an independent nation.

Question 5

What are the 3 events that happened in North Korea between August 1945 - August 1948 under USSR administration (despite being part of the UN trusteeship)?

Answer 5

1. September 1945 - Kim II Sung (trained in Moscow) became the communist leader of North Korea.
2. 1946 - press was communist dominated, any opposition was faced with violence.
3. Kim’s aim = reunite Korea under his leadership, which led him to sending 30,000 troops to support the CCP in the Chinese Civil War to gain military experience.

Question 6

What are the 2 events that happened in South Korea between August 1945 - August 1948 (despite being under the UN trusteeship)?

Answer 6

1. November 1945 - Syngnam Rhee (westernised) became the president of South Korea, despite being dictatorial (undermining him as an ally of the USA’s capitalist-democracy).
2. Late 1946 - the South Korean state was established by Rhee and the American Military Government.