With the rise of the Cold War, negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union failed to create an independent, unified Korea. In 1948, the elections led by the UN were held only in the southern part of Korea, which was occupied by the United States. This led to the creation of the Republic of Korea in South Korea, which was afterwards followed by the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in North Korea. The United States supported the South, and the Soviet Union supported the North, and each government claimed sovereignty, or the right to rule itself, over the whole Korean Peninsula.