The Korean War, lasting from 1950 to 1953, was a brutal conflict sparked by North Korea's invasion of South Korea. The war became a proxy conflict between the United States and its allies, who supported South Korea, and the Soviet Union and China, who backed North Korea. The fighting resulted in millions of casualties, devastating the Korean peninsula. Ultimately, the war ended in a stalemate with an armistice agreement that established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively dividing Korea into two separate nations. The Korean War remains a significant event in the Cold War era, highlighting the tensions and ideological clashes between the world's superpowers.
