Why is S Korea and N Korea separated?

Answer 1

1. North Korea wants a unified communist Korea, under the rule of a dictator, Kim Jong Il.

2. South Korea wants to stay as a democtratic nation, and hence oppose reunification. Reunification would also bring many problems and complications, namely:

Culture: NK's very different to SK now. Though they speak SIMILAR Korean language (not the same anymore), comparing the two countries as England and the USA would be a big mistake. While South Korea's living in the present, North Korea's living in the past with no freedom. There's no country like North Korea.

North Korean people are also educated very differently, learning to treat their leaders as Gods (no exaggeration) - is crazy compared to the world. Their average height (size) has also shrunk, while SK have grown.

Reunification would also be a huge drawback for South Korean economy as SK would have to modernise NK from its Soviet-era buildings.

Answer 2

Much like Germany, Korea was divided into communist and capitalist halves after World War II. Prior to the war, Korea had been a Japanese colony, so the Allies planned to liberate it from Japanese control. After the war, the part liberated by the United States became South Korea and the part liberated by the Soviet Union became North Korea.