- A ceasefire stopped the fighting on July 27, 1953. There was an armistice signed by North Korea, China and the UN but not South Korea. Korea is still split into North Korea, which is communist, and South Korea which is non-communist.
Armistice (Truce)
- In 1952 the US elected a new president, and on 29 November 1952, the president-elect, Dwight D. Eisenhower, went to Korea to learn what might end the Korean War. With the United Nations' acceptance of India's proposed Korean War armistice, the KPA, the PVA, and the UN Command ceased fire with the battle line approximately at the 38th parallel. Upon agreeing to the armistice, the militants established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which has since been patrolled by the KPA and ROKA (Republic Of Korea Army), US, and Joint UN Commands.
- The agreement provided for:
* A fixed demarcation line with a four kilometer (2.4 mile) buffer zone
* A mechanism for the transfer of prisoners of war
- The agreement also called for the establishment of the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) and other agencies to ensure the truce held.The MAC, which comprises members from both sides, still meets regularly in the truce village of Panmunjom. Despite the relative peace since the war ended, tensions remain high between the two Koreas.
"De-Militarized zone" (DMZ)
- The "De-Militarized Zone" which designates the border between North and South Korea has remained one of the most heavily-armed stretches of land on Earth. The stability of the region is threatened by the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea.It is 250 kilometers (160 miles) long, approximately 4 km (2.4 mi) wide and despite its name is the most heavily militarized border in the world.