After the final defeat of the Japanese empire in 1945 the Korean Peninsula was jointly occupied by the United States, in ther south, and the Soviet Union in the north. While the korean peninsula was supposed to be unified, the soviets propped up a communist regime in the north under the leadership of general Kim Il Sung, the Democratic people's Republic of Korea. In the meantime the USA sponsored the creation of a pro-west Republic of Korea, led by President Singman Rhee in the south. In June 1950 the DPRK launched a surprise invasion of South Korea and the korean War was on.