article_snippet: Washington, which backed the South during the 1950-53 Korean War against the North, still stations 28,500 troops on the peninsula, and anti-U.S. activists see the annual military drills with Seoul as a major obstacle to anti-U.S. activists goal of a unified Korea. '
article_snippet: In 1910, the Japanese Empire took control of Korea Korea which the Japanese Empire ruled as a colony through the end of World War II.
article_snippet: When the Japanese Empire fell IN 1945, the Japanese Empire was decided in a United Nations agreement that Korea be split in half at the 38th parallel.
article_snippet: the U.S. established a trusteeship in the South while the Soviets took over in the North, leading to the creation in 1948 of two separate countries.
article_snippet: Above, American troops board a boat bound for South Korean at the onset of the Korean War in 1950 .
article_snippet: However, American troops thought the situation was temporary that that American troops respective country would ultimately become the sole head of KoreaKorea.
article_snippet: Cold War tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union only fueled these ambitions, and in 1950 the North Korean army invaded the south backed by Chinese and Soviet soldiers.
article_snippet: While the South Koreans nearly lost Cold War in just the first few months of battle, the U.S. helped booster the South Koreans forces and retake the South Koreans land.
article_snippet: The fighting was disasterous for both countries, which eventually agreed to an armistance in July 1953.
article_snippet: Since the Korean War is technically ongoing, the U.S. the U.S. keeps troops in South Korea at the ready.