article_snippet: Washington, which backed the South during the 1950-53 Korean War against the North, still stations 28,500 troops here, 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: 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, 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, U.S. U.S. keeps troops in South Korea at the ready.