Korean Political History I: Chapter 2, Exercise 2 — Possible Solution
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TASK
"The US and USSR agreed to divide Korea at the 38th parallel after
negotiating with Korean leaders." Say what the sources support and rewrite.

WHAT THE SOURCES SUPPORT
- On 10 August 1945 Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel were assigned to define
  occupation zones and chose the 38th parallel from a National Geographic
  map.
- Rusk later said he would almost surely have chosen a different line had he
  known Korean history.

WHAT THEY DO NOT SUPPORT
- A negotiation with Korean leaders: the sources describe two American
  officers choosing the line, and mention no Korean participation.
- "Agreed to divide Korea": the sources describe occupation zones assigned
  for the Japanese surrender, not an agreement to divide the country
  permanently.

REWRITE
"On 10 August 1945 two American officers, Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel,
chose the 38th parallel from a map to define occupation zones; the sources I
read do not mention Korean involvement."