Why is Korea still divided into two nations? How does the decades-old tension between North Korea and South Korea affect all of Asia as well as influence several of the world's major powers, including Japan, the People's Republic of China, Russia, and the United States? This book provides answers to these questions and more, presenting readers with descriptions of historical developments in Korea's past and supplying the necessary context for understanding why the Korean Peninsula remains split at the 38th parallel.

Two comprehensive opening chapters present a broad overview...