The two Koreas

While the Cold War is over in the rest of the world, a potentially deadly confrontation continues on the bitterly divided peninsula of Korea, where two of the world's largest armies - along with 37,000 U.S. troops - face each other across the misnamed "demilitarized zone," ready to resume fighting on a moment's notice. Here the United States would be instantly involved in any new outbreak of violence. Below the dividing line, which was established by the great powers at the end of World War II, South Korea has developed a fractious democracy and one of the world's most vibrant economies.…