The Korean War, beginning on June 25, 1950, involved 26 nations, caused over 6 million casualties, and divided Korea.
It is often called the 'forgotten war' due to its lack of recognition compared to other major conflicts.
On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, ending its 36-year colonization of Korea.
As WW2 ended Soviet and U.S. troops occupied the north and the south, respectively.
The Cold War tensions later led to Korea's division into North and South Korea.
On June 25, 1950, North Korea executed a surprise invasion of South Korea.
With no ultimate resolve, the war ended with a ceasefire on July 27, 1953, leaving the Korean Peninsula divided.
On November 28, 1987, a Korean airliner exploded over the Bay of Bengal, killing over 100 passengers. The explosion was a terrorist act by two North Korean agents, who planted a time bomb in the plane.
The surviving agent confessed it was ordered by former Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-il to disrupt the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Since late May, North Korea has launched over 2,000 balloons over South Korea filled with wastepaper, cloth scraps, cigarette butts, and manure towards South Korea.
This action was in retaliation to South Korean activists sending political leaflets to the North using similar balloon tactics.