Military Demarcation Line Armistice Agreement. Locals and foreigners will be allowed to cross the line at the Joint Security Area once this area is cleared. The DMZ runs near the 38th parallel, covering roughly . American and South Korean soldiers patrol this line along the South Korean side while North Korean soldiers patrol along the North Korean side. In Korean, the line is called the "Hyujeonseon" (휴전선), meaning "armistice line." It is also sometimes called the "Gunsa Bungye-seon" (군사분계선), which literally means "military demarcation line." However, in colloquial usage, the dividing line is more often called the "Sampalseon" (삼팔선, "38th parallel"), a name
North Korea in the Korean War Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. Tactics were based on Soviet doctrine which emphasised rapid advances spearheaded by armoured and infantry assaults. The quality and power of the KPA’s initial invasion resulted in its opponents being forced back to the southern tip of the Korean peninsula. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself. After some early back-and-forth