38th parallel

or 38th Parallel

[ thur-tee-eytth par-uh-lel, par-uh-luhl, thur-tee-eyth ]

noun

1. the line of latitude 38 degrees North (38° N), in East Asia, which roughly marks the border between North Korea and South Korea: set by the U.S. in 1945 as a military boundary, three years before these countries were officially established.

Word History and Origins

Origin of 38th parallel¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Since the guns of the Korean War fell silent on 27 July 1953, tens of thousands of US troops have remained in South Korea to cast a wary eye across the 38th parallel to North Korea.

From BBC

In a recent interview, Mr. Danilov noted the comparisons popping up in media outlets comparing Ukraine and Korea, raising the notion that a “38th Parallel,” akin to the line that divided North and South Korea, could be imposed in Ukraine.

From New York Times

A poignant moment comes in a technically accomplished 1948-49 self-portrait by Lee Qoede — and learning that he virtually disappeared after moving across the 38th parallel in 1953 when the Korean War rumbled to a close.

From Los Angeles Times

The DMZ is a strip of land that has split the Korean peninsula in two along the 38th parallel since the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953.

From Washington Times

An early workshop was called “The 38th Parallel,” and was more focused on the families of Koh and the composer Jean-Baptiste Barrière, who is Saariaho’s husband.

From New York Times