The 38th parallel north cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea in 1948, it became a de facto international border and one of the tensest fronts in the Cold War. In the ceasefire of July 27, 1953, the DMZ (Demilitarizes Zone) was created as each side agreed in the armistice to move their troops back 2 000 meters from the front line, creating a buffer zone four kilometres wide. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes right down the center of the DMZ and indicates exactly where the front was when the agreement was signed. The armistice agreement was never followed by a peace treaty and technically the two Koreas are still at war.