The United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK; Korean: 재조선미육군사령부군정청; Hanja: 在朝鮮美陸軍司令部軍政廳), was the official ruling body of the southern half of the Korean Peninsula from September 8, 1945 to August 15, 1948. Many of the foundations for the modern South Korean system were laid during this period.