The conflict in Korea, known as the Korean War (1950-1953), was caused primarily by the division of Korea after World War II and the ideological and political rivalry of the Cold War. Following Japan's defeat in 1945, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into two zones of occupation: the Soviet Union controlled the North, and the United States controlled the South. This division led to the establishment of two separate governments in 1948-North Korea under Kim Il Sung as a communist state backed by the Soviets and China, and South Korea under Syngman Rhee, supported by the United States

. Neither government recognized the legitimacy of the other, and both claimed to be the sole ruler of the entire Korean Peninsula. North Korea, with Soviet military support and training, believed it could quickly unify Korea by force, expecting internal uprisings in the South and underestimating U.S. intervention. On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces launched a full-scale invasion of South Korea, crossing the 38th parallel, which directly triggered the war

. The broader Cold War context intensified the conflict: the U.S. aimed to contain communism and prevent the fall of South Korea, fearing a domino effect in East Asia, while the Soviet Union and China sought to expand communist influence without provoking a direct war with the U.S. Stalin initially hesitated but later supported Kim Il Sung’s invasion plan after assessing that the U.S. would not escalate to nuclear war and that China would back North Korea if needed

. Thus, the Korean War was caused by the division of Korea into two hostile states, ideological conflict between communism and democracy, and the strategic interests of the Cold War superpowers, culminating in North Korea's invasion of the South in 1950