38th parallel

American  

[thur-tee-eytth par-uh-lel, par-uh-luhl, thur-tee-eyth] / ˈθɜr tiˌeɪtθ ˈpær əˌlɛl, ˈpær ə ləl, ˈθɜr tiˌeɪθ /

Or 38th Parallel

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.

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Etymology

Origin of 38th parallel

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Se-ri realizes just how privileged her life has been living south of the 38th parallel.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2021

But instead of merely laying out strategic mistakes made by the U.S., she details how an imaginary border - the 38th parallel - dreamt up by the U.S. eventually divided her family.

From Washington Times • Apr. 27, 2019

The only North Korean athletes to qualify for the Games on merit have bonded with their competitors from across the 38th parallel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2018

Four months later — June 25, 1950 — the Korean People’s Army began firing across the 38th parallel.

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2017

After Japan's defeat in 1945, control of the Korean Peninsula split down the middle, at the 38th parallel, a line that cut the nation neatly in half.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau