On 20 May 1950, "Mount McKinley" was underway for WesPac to conduct training operations with the 8th Army. On 26 June, the ship proceeded from Japan to direct the landing of American reinforcements at Pohang at the beginning of the Korean War. In early September 1950, General Douglas MacArthur was aboard, directing the amphibious assault at Inchon which forced the North Koreans to retreat north. The next assault was on the heavily mined port of Wonsan.