38th Parallel [North] - The pre-Korean War border between North and South Korea.
Axe Murder Incident - The 1976 murder of two US personnel in the Joint Security Area by KPA soldiers. Resulted in the splitting of the Joint Security Area along the Demarcation Line.
Battle of Daecheong - A limited naval battle that took place in 2009.
The Blue House - The Presidential Palace of South Korea.
The Blue House Raid - A failed assassination attempt by North Korean Commandos on the South Korean Presidential Palace - the Blue House.
Bridge of No Return - A bridge in the Joint Security Area that crosses the Demarcation Line between North and South Korea. In the years following the Korean War, it was the location of numerous prisoner exchanges.
Cheonan (ROKS Cheonan) - A South Korean Navy corvette. Sunk in March 2010, allegedly by a North Korean torpedo. 46 sailors died during the sinking.
Daesong-dong - See Peace Village.
DML - Demarcation Line: The border that separates North and South Korea.
DMZ - Demilitarized Zone: A 2.5 mile buffer zone between North and South Korea that straddles the Demarcation Line.
DPRK - Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea. A totalitarian communist dictatorship since 1945.
First Battle of Yeonpyeong - A series of naval clashes that took place in June 1999.
Freedom House - The main South Korean building in the Joint Security Area.
Gwangju Massacre - A popular uprising in the South Korean city of Gwangju. In May 1980 civilians protesting against South Korea's dictatorship clashed with ROKA forces. Official figures estimate the death toll at 170, though some sources argue that as many as 1000-2000 may have been killed.
Incheon - The transport hub of South Korea. Its capture by US forces in 1950 signalled a turning point in the Korean War.
JSA - Joint Security Area (sometimes referred to as Panmunjeom, after the nearby town): A military base guarded by both North and South Korean personnel where both sides can meet to discuss diplomacy on neutral ground. Previously Northern and Southern personnel were allowed to walk among one another but, following the murder of two US soldiers in the Axe Murder Incident of 1976 personnel must now stay on their respective side of the Demarcation Line, which runs halfway through the JSA.
Kaesong Industrial Park (sometimes referred to simply as Kaesong) - An industrial district in North Korea near the DMZ. A collaborative economic venture between the Koreas, many of the companies are run by South Koreans, who employ and supply goods to North Koreans.
Kijong-dong - See Peace Village.
Kim Dae-jung - Former-South Korean President (1998-2003) who initiated the Sunshine Policy. He won the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize and became known as the 'Nelson Mandela of Asia'.
Kim Il-sung - Former leader of North Korea (1947-94). Father of current leader Kim Jong-il. Known throughout DPRK as Great Leader.
Kim Jong-il - Current de facto leader of North Korea since 1994 (deceased Kim Il-Sung is still considered the official leader), known throughout DPRK as Dear Leader.
Kim Jong-nam - Eldest son of Kim Jong-il. Originally heir to the leadership of North Korea until he fell out of favour with his father.
Kim Jong-un - Youngest son of Kim Jong-il. The current heir to the leadership of North Korea.
Kim Young-sam - Became South Korea's first civilian President in from 1993-98, and began South Korea's movement towards democracy.
Korean DMZ Conflict - A series of skirmishes that took place in the DMZ between 1966-69. 299 ROKA, 397 KPA and 43 US soldiers were killed.
KPA - Korean People's Army: the army of North Korea. Estimated at over 1 million personnel, 2/3 of which are garrisoned around the DMZ.
Lee Myung-bak - The current President of South Korea since 2008.
NLL - Northern Limit Line: an ocean border that separates North Korean and international waters. Its exact location is a controversial issue between the two Koreas, and has resulted in numerous naval clashes.
NNSC - Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission: A UN/Korean/Chinese nominated commission made up of officers from Czechoslovakia, Poland Sweden and Switzerland to regulate relations between North and South Korea.
Panmungak - The main North Korean building in the Joint Security Area.
Panmunjeom - See Joint Security Area.
Peace Village - Villages set up within the Demilitarized Zone mainly for the purposes of propaganda, with the hopes of encouraging defection. Kijong-dong in North Korea is largely uninhabited and has massive speakers mounted on the buildings broadcasting propaganda at the South. Its South Korean counterpart is Daesong-dong.
PLA - People's Liberation Army: the unified military of People's Republic of China.
PVA - People's Volunteer Army: See People's Liberation Army. Renamed PVA during the Korean War to avoid open war with the US and UN.
Pyongyang - The capital city of North Korea.
ROK - Republic of Korea, or South Korea. A dictatorship from 1945-1993. In 1993 it became a democratic republic.
ROKA - Republic of Korea Army: the army of South Korea. Estimated at just over 500,000 personnel.
Second Battle of Yeonpyeong - A series of naval clashes that took place in June 2002.
Second Korean War - See Korean DMZ Conflict.
Seoul - The Capital city of South Korea.
Silmido - A small island off Incheon. See Unit 684.
Syngman Rhee - The First President of South Korea (1948-60). His government established South Korea as a dictatorship for the next 45 years.
Six-Party Talks - Talks aimed at addressing the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Attended by diplomats from People's Republic of China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Russian Federation and the United States of America.
The Sunshine Policy - A 1998 foreign policy created by former-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung aimed at improving relations between North and South Korea through live-and-let-live principles. It was ultimately abandoned in 2010 due to a lack of cooperation from North Korea and a more hardline stance taken by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's administration.
Unit 684 - A response to the Blue House Raid. In 1968 ROKA founded a 31 man black ops unit called Unit 684, composed mainly of criminals and delinquents, to assassinate DPRK President Kim Il-sung. The unit was based and trained on the island of Silmido. When the assassination was called off, the unit killed most of their trainers and guards and made their way to the mainland. After hijacking a bus, they were stopped by the ROKA. All but four of the unit were either killed or committed suicide. The four survivors were later executed.
USS Pueblo - A US Navy Rsearch Ship. Captured along with 83 members of her crew in the Sea of Japan by North Korea in January 1968. One US sailor was killed in the attack. The crew were later released, but the USS Pueblo remains as a museum ship in North Korea.
Yeonpyeong Island - a South Korean island very close to the Northern Limit Line. Shelled by North Korean artillery in November 2010
