Operation Blacklist Forty
Operation Blacklist Forty[1] was the codename for the United States occupation of Korea between 1945 and 1948. Following the end of World War II, U.S. forces landed within the present-day South Korea to accept the surrender of the Japanese, and help create an independent and unified Korean government with the help of the Soviet Union, which occupied the present-day North Korea. However, when this effort proved unsuccessful, the United States and the Soviet Union both established their own friendly governments, resulting in the current division of the Korean Peninsula.[1][2]
Operation Blacklist Forty
Occupation of Korea south of the 38th parallel
1945–1948
Successful operation
- End of the Japanese rule of Korea
- Establishment of the United States Military Government
- Forceful dissolution of the People's Republic of Korea
- Establishment of the Republic of Korea
Background[edit]
The partition of Korea into occupation zones was proposed in August 1945, by the United States to the Soviet Union following the latter's entry in the war against Japan. The 38th parallel north was chosen to separate the two occupation zones on August 10 by two American officers, Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel, working on short notice and with little information on Korea. Their superiors endorsed the partition line and the proposal was accepted by the Soviets. The Americans hoped to establish a representative government supportive of American policy in the region, and the Soviets hoped to establish another communist nation friendly to their interests.[1][2][3]