July 26, 1953

On July 26, 1953, the Korean War armistice was signed, ending active combat between North Korea, China, and South Korea. This agreement established a ceasefire and created the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a buffer zone between North and South Korea. While the war did not officially end with a peace treaty, the armistice prevented further large-scale fighting and started a period of tense stability. The division of Korea into two separate countries has persisted since then, significantly shaping geopolitics and regional security in East Asia.