The Korean War began #OTD, 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea in a surprise attack. The conflict arose from the division of Korea at the end of World War II, when the peninsula was split into two zones of occupation: the Soviet-backed North and the American-supported South. Both North and South Korea claimed legitimacy over the entire country, creating intense political rivalry. Kim Il-sung, the leader of North Korea, sought to unify the peninsula un