The 38th Parallel North roughly divides the Korean peninsula into the DPRK and South Korea, which have deployed a large amount of armed forces to the line. Seoul is about 40 kilometers from the border while Pyongyang is more than three times that distance.

As for military strength, in 2015, the DPRK had about one million soldiers, almost double that of South Korea, according to a UK think-tank. Its 3,500 tanks also outnumbered South Korea by about 1,000. However, most of its tanks are thought to be outdated.

In terms of artillery, the report said that Pyongyang possessed over 21,000 pieces of equipment, more than twice that of its southern neighbor. It also boasted a fleet of more than 70 submarines, triple that of South Korea. But Seoul has more frigates and destroyers, as well as combat aircraft. 

South Korea also enjoys one advantage that the DPRK can never count on, the US support. Currently, there are more than 28,000 US troops stationed in the south of the line. And the US and South Korea are working together towards the deployment of the advanced anti-missile system THAAD on South Korean soil. Furthermore, the US Navy Carl Vinson strike group is slowly moving towards the Korean Peninsula in a show of force.