History of Korea
After the end of WWII in 1945, the Allies divided the country into a northern area (protected by the Soviets) and a southern area protected (primarily by the United States). In 1948, when the powers failed to agree on the formation of a single government, this partition became the modern states of North and South Korea. The peninsula was divided at the 38th Parallel: the "Republic of Korea" was created in the south, with the backing of the US and Western Europe, and the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in the north, with the backing of the Soviets and the communist People's Republic of China. The new premier of North Korea, Kim il-Sung, launched the Korean War in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the country under Communist rule. After immense material and human destruction, the conflict ended with a cease-fire in 1953. The two nations officially remain at war because a peace treaty was never signed. In 1991, both states were accepted into the United Nations.
South Africa–United Kingdom relations
The United Kingdom and the area of Southern Africa that is today known as South Africa, have had a long history with the UK playing a deeply important role in the formation of the modern Republic of South Africa. The beginning of relations between South Africa and the UK began on 31 May 1910 when the Union of South Africa was founded as a Dominion of the British Empire. From 1910 until South Africa declared itself a republic on the 31 May 1961, South Africa fought in support and as a part of the British Empire in both World War I and II.