The Thirty-Eighth Parallel is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It is significant for being the dividing line between North Korea and South Korea, established after World War II. This line was intended as a temporary boundary but eventually became a permanent division following the Korean War. The parallel runs through several countries, including Japan, China, and Turkey. It is often referenced in discussions about the geopolitical tensions in the Korean Peninsula, as it symbolizes the ideological divide between communism in the north and democracy in the south.