Fighting in the Korean War began June 25, 1950 and continued until June 1951. At that time, the Soviet delegate appealed to the United Nations for a cease-fire and armistice (an agreement to stop fighting); the negotiations lasted over two years. The final agreement was reached on July 27, 1953. Click on the Armistice Agreement below to learn more information.

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This agreement not only suspended the fighting in Korea, but in Article I, it divided the country permanently. Article I set up the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, at the 38°N parallel. All military forces and equipment would be withdrawn from a 4,000 meter–wide zone, serving as a buffer between the North and South.