<P> Korea was devastated . Around three million civilians and soldiers had been killed . Seoul was in ruins, having changed hands four times . Almost every substantial building in North Korea had been destroyed . As a result, North Koreans developed a deep - seated antagonism towards the US . </P> <P> Negotiations for an armistice began on July 10, 1951, as the war continued . The main issues were the establishment of a new demarcation line and the exchange of prisoners . After Stalin died, the Soviet Union brokered concessions which led to an agreement on July 27, 1953 . </P> <P> Syngman Rhee opposed the armistice because it left Korea divided . As negotiations drew to a close, he attempted to sabotage the arrangements for the release of prisoners, and led mass rallies against the armistice . He refused to sign the agreement, but reluctantly agreed to abide by it . </P> <P> The armistice inaugurated an official ceasefire but did not lead to a peace treaty . It established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a buffer zone between the two sides, that intersected the 38th parallel but did not follow it . Despite its name, the border was, and continues to be, one of the most militarized in the world . </P>

A peninsula in north west turkey the scene of an unsuccessful allied campaign