For history of Korea before its division, see History of Korea.
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History of North Korea
Division of Korea
1945–1948
People's Republic of Korea
1945–1946
Soviet Civil Administration
1945–1948
Provisional People's Committee of North Korea
1946–1948
Kim Il Sung
1948–1994
Korean War
1950–1953
Korean DMZ Conflict
1966–1969
Juche
1972
1993-1994 nuclear crisis
1993–1994
Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung
1994
Kim Jong Il
1994–2011
North Korean famine
1994–1998
Songun
1998
Sunshine Policy
1998–2010
Six-party talks
2003
ROKS Cheonan sinking
2010
Death and state funeral of Kim Jong Il
2011
Kim Jong Un
2011–present
State Affairs Commission
2016
2017-2018 North Korean crisis
2017–2018
Korean peace process
2018–2019
COVID-19 pandemic
2019–2023
North Korea portal
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The history of North Korea began with the end of World War II in 1945. The surrender of Japan led to the division of Korea at the 38th parallel, with the Soviet Union occupying the north, and the United States occupying the south. The Soviet Union and the United States failed to agree on a way to unify the country, and in 1948, they established two separate governments – the Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the American-aligned Republic of Korea – each claiming to be the legitimate government of all of Korea.
In 1950, the Korean War broke out. After much destruction, the war ended with a stalemate. The division at the 38th parallel was replaced by the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Tension between the two sides continued. Out of the rubble North Korea built an industrialized command economy.
Kim Il Sung led North Korea until his death in 1994. He developed a pervasive personality cult and steered the country on an independent course in accordance with the principle of Juche (self-reliance). However, with natural disasters and the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1991, North Korea went into a severe economic crisis. Kim Il Sung's son, Kim Jong Il, succeeded him, and was in turn succeeded by his grandson, Kim Jong Un.
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