Yo Kass answered
The term DMZ (or demilitarized zone) refers to the a strip of land that divides North and South Korea along the 38th parallel of latitude. The main cause of its existence was the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950 - and the effect of the division was to create a buffer zone between the two nations which acts to diffuse border tensions and hostility.
The division between North and South Korea
The division between North and South Korea was first introduced in the aftermath of the Battle of the Pacific, when allied forces dissected the Korean peninsula into two separate occupied territories along a circle of latitude known as the 38th parallel.
The creation of a North and South Korea was only meant to be a temporary measure, and was intended to give the major allied forces time to develop a government that would be able to control the entire peninsula. However (under the influence of their 'sponsor states') the two territories developed irreconcilable economic and political differences.
What caused the introduction of the Korean DMZ
Despite attempts to reconcile and reunite the two states, war broke out between North and South Korea on the 25th of June 1950. This war claimed over 3 million lives and only came to an end with the Armistice Agreement of 1953.
As part of that agreement, a demilitarized zone was created along the battle front between the two countries. Both sides agreed to withdraw their military presence to 2,200 yards away from the final front of conflict: A line which became known as the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and runs through the middle of the DMZ.
As part of that agreement, a demilitarized zone was created along the battle front between the two countries. Both sides agreed to withdraw their military presence to 2,200 yards away from the final front of conflict: A line which became known as the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and runs through the middle of the DMZ.
Effects of the Korean DMZ
Just as the introduction of the DMZ formed a part of the Armistice Agreement that brought fighting to a halt, so the effects of the DMZ are also interlinked with the terms of the same agreement.
Some effects of introducing the DMZ are:
Some effects of introducing the DMZ are:
- The formation of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) to oversee enforcement of the border
- An increased military presence on either side of the DMZ
- The digging of incursion tunnels by the North
- Propaganda and show-boating along the border. This includes the use of loudspeakers and radio broadcasts to transmit propaganda, as well as the construction of giant flagpoles and 'peace villages' on either side
- The emergence of one of the world's best-preserved nature parks. Prompted by the lack of human inhabitants, several endangered and rare species now inhabit areas between the two countries!
