Korean War Begins
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel, invading South Korea and quickly capturing its capital, Seoul. This conflict emerged from the geopolitical tensions of the post-World War II era, as Korea had been divided into two separate governments: the Communist North, supported by the Soviet Union, and the pro-Western South, backed by the United States. The United Nations intervened in response to the aggression, with the U.S. contributing the majority of military forces to support South Korea.
Initial UN efforts faced setbacks, but a successful counteroffensive led by General Douglas MacArthur in September 1950 allowed UN troops to push the North Koreans back. However, the situation escalated when China intervened, pushing UN forces southwards again. The war resulted in high casualties and a stalemate along the 38th Parallel, leading to protracted armistice negotiations that ultimately concluded with a ceasefire on July 27, 1953.
The conflict had lasting impacts on the Korean Peninsula, solidifying the division between North and South Korea, which continue to have differing political ideologies and economic conditions. The North maintains a communist regime, while the South has developed into a democratic nation with significant economic growth. The tensions and conflict over ideologies persist, influencing relations in the region to this day.
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Korean War Begins
Korean War Begins
The years following World War II brought not peace but a new kind of conflict. The Western powers, led by the United States, and the Communist block, led by the Soviet Union, vied with each other in a tense diplomatic game termed the cold war. Both sides managed to avoid direct military confrontation, since a “hot” war would inevitably involve nuclear weapons and thus the destruction of the world, but they tested each other's resolve in third-party arenas. One such arena was the Korean peninsula in Asia.
After World War II, control of Korea had passed from Japan to the Soviet Union and the United States. In 1945 these two powers temporarily divided the country at the 38th Parallel, with the Soviet Union responsible for the northern half and the United States for the southern. In theory a single, independent Korean republic was to be established within a short time, but postwar hostility interfered with this plan. Instead, by 1948 two separate governments existed in Korea: the Democratic People's Republic in the north, recognized by the Soviet Union; and the Republic of Korea in the south, backed by the United States.
Soviet and American troops withdrew from Korea in 1948 and 1949, respectively. The Soviets left behind a well-trained and well-equipped native army in North Korea, while the Americans handed over the defense of South Korea to a weak and ineffective military. North Korea did not delay for long in taking advantage of the situation.
On June 25, 1950, North Korean armored divisions crossed the 38th Parallel and within three days captured the South Korean capital of Seoul. This aggressive action immediately spurred the free world to take measures to prevent the complete Communist takeover of South Korea. After its June 25 call for a cease-fire went unheeded, the United Nations Security Council on June 27 appealed to its members to “furnish such assistance to the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to repel the armed attack and restore international peace and security.” The United States responded quickly. That same day President Harry S. Truman ordered United States naval and air forces to proceed to Korea, and on June 30 he ordered American ground troops into the combat zone.
Although 16 nations had military personnel in Korea by the beginning of July 1950, American troops constituted more than 80 percent of the entire United Nations (UN) forces. In the first months of combat the UN troops and their South Korean allies continuously lost ground to the North Koreans, and at the end of August the fighting centered around Pusan in southeastern Korea. The tide of battle turned in early September. Under the direction of their commander, General Douglas MacArthur, the UN forces not only held their position at Pusan but began a successful counteroffensive. Seoul was recaptured on September 26, and by October 1 the troops of the Communist North had been driven above the 38th Parallel.
Buoyed by the September victories, the UN General Assembly on October 7 authorized MacArthur to take the necessary steps to ensure “a unified, independent and democratic Korea.” United Nations troops crossed the 38th Parallel on October 9, and by the end of the month they had pushed the Communists back to the Manchurian border between North Korea and its fellow communist nation, the People's Republic of China. The UN and American forces did not hold this position for long. Chinese foreign minister Chou En-lai had warned that the people of his country would not “supinely tolerate seeing their neighbors being savagely invaded by imperialists.” On November 26 the Chinese launched a massive counterattack.
The Chinese pushed the UN and American troops south below the 38th Parallel, reoccupying the cities of Pyongyang and Seoul. Officially, the Chinese government claimed that its troops were independent “volunteers,” who had joined their fellow North Korean communists in the struggle. Although this story was obviously transparent, the United States never officially declared war on China for the attack, since China was allied with the Soviet Union and an all-out war might lead to a United States-Soviet nuclear confrontation.
By the end of January 1951, the UN forces had rallied. They battled their way back to the 38th Parallel and even won some territory in the eastern sector north of that dividing line. Yet, they could not score a major victory against the Communists. In the spring of 1951 the front stabilized, along which fighting continued for the next two years. Truce negotiations began in July 1951. For almost two years they dragged on, and at times it seemed as though agreement would never be reached. Then finally, on July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed ending the Korean War. In accordance with the terms of the armistice, South Korea acquired approximately 1,500 square miles of territory above the 38th Parallel, which had previously been the border between the north and south. It was a costly gain, since the combined number of American, UN, and South Korean casualties was 498,255 and the forces of North Korea were reported to have suffered approximately 1.6 million killed and wounded.
By 2010, South Korea had the tenth-highest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world. The country was pro-American and enjoyed the economic and military support of the United States. North Korea, however, experienced an extreme famine during the 1990s, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. The country depended on international aid during this time to feed its people. Tens of thousands of North Koreans crossed the border into China to escape the poverty and repressive regime found in the country. North Korea remains communist and anti-American, receiving political support from Russia and China. The imbalance of wealth and ideologies serves to increase tensions between the two Koreas. In 1972, the official state ideology was changed from communism to juche, Kim Jong II's vision of North Korean self-reliance, which is communist but is not based on Marxist–Leninist ideology. North Korea's president spread anti-American propaganda and threatened military strikes against South Korea and the United States. More concerning was North Korea's aspirations to own a nuclear arsenal, conducting nuclear testing in 2006, 2009, and 2013. South Korea was protected by the US military from such aggressions, actively supporting sanctions against North Korea through the United Nations (UN). South Korea's President Kim Dae-Jung promoted his Sunshine Policy of negotiation with North Korea, holding a summit in Pyongyang in 2000. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, although the stalemate between the countries continued.
Kim Jong II was president of North Korea until his death in December 2011, when his son Kim Jong-un succeeded him. The country began to open up commercially in 2002 but then backtracked after 2005, focusing instead on protectionist policies and building its military. North Korea had the fourth-largest military in the world in 2013 but had only forty-eighth-largest population, making it the most militarized country in the world. In comparison, South Korea had the sixth-largest military and was the second-most militarized country in the world. In 2012, a trade agreement between the United States and South Korea went into effect, but international sanctions were in effect for North Korea because of its nuclear testing. President Park Geun-hye became the first female leader of South Korea in February 2013. In June 2013, North Korea initially agreed to talks with South Korea but then called them off because of the lower rank of South Korea's delegate compared to that of North Korea. The countries exchanged harsh words in 2014 after North Korea conducted further missile tests.