Korea is a peninsula of Asia which looks like it should be part of China. It sticks out like Florida sticks out from the U.S. and it's only about 1/3 larger than Florida. For almost 2,000 years it was divided two, three or four ways - into warring kingdoms. They never could quite get together or get along.
In the late 19th century, the Japanese (whose islands sit very close to Korea) began to force their way into Korean politics and force Chinese influence out. The Japanese occupation was brutal. In preparation for World War II, the Japanese began conscripting Koreans for labor and other unsavory duties to help their military. Japan actually attempted to eradicate Korea by forcing the Japanese language and culture on the them.
Lucky for the Koreans, Japan lost World War II. What happened wasn't a whole lot better as it turned out. The United Nations divided the country into two and gave administration duties to the Soviet Union for the North and the United States for the South. The dividing line was the 39th parallel.
That brings us to today - in 1950. The North, with the military hardware of the Soviet Union and the backing of China, invaded the South. They desired there be just one Korea - theirs. The U.S. backed and fought with the South Koreans. The war was waged for three years and about 3 million people died. The North was pushed back into the North but no further. Most buildings in the south and north were destroyed. What a mess.
A demilitarization zone dividing the North from the South (2-1/2 miles wide and 160 miles long) was established across the country. We have had about 30 thousand troops there ever since 1953. The U.S. never declared war in Korea - it was a conflict, as far as we were concerned, not a war. As far as North and South Korea are concerned, it was the big war that has never ended.
Some day:
[Note: the UN, after WWII, also drew a line in the Middle East for Israel. It hasn't worked real well, either.]
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