Today is the fifty-sixth anniversary of the start of the Korean War - a conflict that is in some ways forgottwn, overshadowed by World War Two, but the events of which have served to shape the modern Korean peninsula and much of south east Asia. The seeds of the war were sown in 1945, when Russian and American forces met at the 38th parallel following the defeat of Japan, and Korea - which had been under Japanese occupation since 1910 - was partitioned. The US instituted democratic elections in the south and the Soviets installed a communist totalitarian regime in the north.
Given tha South Korea was essentially a fragile outpost of democracy deep inside a communist sphere of influence, war was almost inevitable - the administrations of both North and South Korea wanted to "liberate" the other half. It came a little under five years later in June 1950. The conflict soon escalated so that most major western countries were supporting the south, while the People's Republic of China was fighting on the side of the north. The Soviet Union, while officially staying out of the affair, was also a significant player on the communist side.
The war only lasted a year and a half, but during that time it made a profound impact on the world. It became apparent that the burgeoning Cold War wasn't simply a European phenomenon, and ushered in the modern age of geopolitics as we know it. But the most profound effects have been felt in Korea itself. Over two million Koreans, from both sides of the 38th parallel, died - most of them civilians that got in the way of United Nations bombs or of communist atrocities. The memory of the war lives on strongly in the consciousness of everyone.
It also lives on in the landscape. The war was not ended with a peace treaty, but with a perpetual ceasefire that is still in force. The 38th parallel is still, effectively, the front line of a war; no traffic crosses by land or air, and the armies of both Koreas keep watch on their opposite numbers on the other side of the barbed wire and fortifications. The South Korean capital, Seoul, is just a little way south of the parallel, but for all that does not seem to be too infected with the fear of further war - surprising, since the city was captured by communist forces in the early stages of the conflict. You won't be able to get into North Korea as a tourist - and it's doubtful you would want to - but South Korea is a great country to visit. From the friendly atmosphere and peaceful surroundings you would never think that, fifty years ago, this was the cockpit of the Cold War.
Korea - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette
Korea Strait (Dan Lenson Novels)
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Frommer's South Korea (Frommer's Complete)
Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History, Updated Edition