Why North Korea & South Korea Are Separated

HERMIT KINGDOM

With continuing strong ties to the West (and an ongoing U.S. military presence), South Korea developed a robust economy, and in recent decades has made steps toward becoming a fully democratic nation. Meanwhile, North Korea remained an isolated “hermit kingdom”—particularly after the collapse of the Soviet bloc in the early 1990s—and economically underdeveloped, as well as a virtual police state ruled by a single family for three generations. The North’s dedicated efforts to develop a nuclear program have also greatly heightened tensions with South Korea and its allies, particularly the United States.