The Soviet government approved the choice and began building up the North's military strength while proposing that all foreign military forces be withdrawn from the country by early 1948. When the South elected the pro-western Syngman Rhee in May 1948, North Korean Communists countered by electing Kim Il-sung. The United Nations established a commission to oversee a national election that would allow an end to the partition, but the Soviets refused to allow it in the north. Also, the Korean people despised it, occasionally resorting to violence to protest decisions in which they played no part. The arbitrary split created problems from the start, only made worse by the ideological differences of the controlling countries. From 1945 until an independent government could be established, the two countries agreed to a dual administration with the Soviets above the 38th parallel and the Americans below it. Following World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States divided control of the Korean peninsula, formerly a Japanese colony.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |