Second Korean War (Empress Of The Orient Sea)

The Second Korean War was fought between North Korea and South Korea from 2023 to 2025. The war began on August 13 2023 when North Korea invaded South Korea following the large scale chemical bombings by the Pacifist Terrorist Group in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital and Seoul, the South Korean capital. North Korea was once again supported by the People’s Republic of China while South Korea was supported by the United States, United Nations, and other allied countries. The fighting ended with a South Korean victory following the collapse of the North Korean government when Pyongyang was captured on October 19 2024.
On August 9 2023, a mysterious unmarked white van was parked in the entertainment district of Seoul and was reported by civilians as suspicious leading to two Seoul policemen to investigate the van. Upon arriving, the policemen arrived at the location of the van and within a close proximity, the van suddenly explodes by automatic detonation. A large portion of Seoul was destroyed and it’s surrounding areas contaminated with a modern version of mustard chemical gas. Hundreds of innocent civilians were killed while a hundred more were injured severely. At the same date, Pyongyang was struck with the same attack after a military truck holding powerful explosions along with dangerous chemical gases exploded when one of the high ranking North Korean officials was in close distance to it. A few minutes after both attacks, South and North Korean intelligence apprehended several personnel who were attempting to launch bombings in the Blue House and the main governmental North Korean building. 
These attacks prompted both the government of both Korean nations to accuse each other of launching it. Tensions flared as the armies of South Korea and North Korea were mobilized by August 11 with the US government supporting the Republic of Korea while People’s Republic Of China supporting the Democratic Republic Of Korea. However, these super-powered nations wished to avert war but it was eventually declared on August 13 when a North Korean submarine sinked a large South Korean civilian cruiser off the coast of Seoul. South Korea responded with multiple missile strikes on the DMZ. 
North Korean forces entered South Korea on August 14, starting the Second Korean War. The South Korean 1st Army met the North Koreans and stalled their advanced, creating a stalemate that is however near the capital of Seoul. Due to this, the government of South Korea was forced to evacuate to the city of Busan as missiles began destroying Seoul relentlessly without mercy. Meanwhile, the South Korean Navy destroyed a large portion of the North Korean navy in the Yellow Sea along with the North Korean Air Force but South Korea failed to properly pushing back the North Koreans in the Sea of Japan with a stalemate only being formed. 
After a year of intense and bloody fighting, South Korean forces finally captured Pyongyang along with large portions of North Korea with the support of the UN and resistance fighters. Kim Jung-Un and the rest of his family were captured by a combined US and South Korean special forces team after a brief gunfight in the North Korean leader's mansion. The fall of Pyongyang and the capture of the remaining North Korean leadership effectively ended major fighting in the peninsula. Yet even after the post-war years, there still remained a small group of North Korean loyalists who refused to surrender but instead continued their fight against South Korea using guerilla tactics and committing terrorist acts. 
== Pre-War ==
==== Singapore Summit 2018 ====
The 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit, commonly known as the Singapore Summit, was a summit meeting between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, held at the Capella Hotel, Sentosa, Singapore, on 12 June 2018. It was the first-ever meeting between leaders of North Korea and the United States. They signed a joint statement, agreeing to security guarantees for North Korea, new peaceful relations, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, recovery of soldiers' remains, and follow-up negotiations between high-level officials. Both leaders also met separately with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Immediately following the summit, President Trump announced that the U.S. military would discontinue "provocative" joint military exercises with South Korea, and stated that he wished to bring the U.S. soldiers back home at some point, but he reinforced that it was not part of the Singapore equation. On August 1, 2018, the U.S. Senate passed the military budget bill for 2019, forbidding funding the reduction of active USFK personnel below 22,000; significant removal of US forces is considered a non-negotiable item in denuclearization talks with the North.
After a period of heightened conflict that included North Korea successfully testing what it claims was its first hydrogen bomb and the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in late 2017, tensions began to de-escalate after Kim Jong-un announced his desire to send athletes to the 2018 Winter Olympics being held in South Korea. During the games, Kim proposed talks with South Korea to plan an inter-Korean summit. On March 8, the South Korean delegation returned from the talks and traveled to the United States to deliver an invitation by Kim Jong-un to Donald Trump for a meeting. High-level exchanges between the two sides then took place, including a visit by then–CIA Director Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang and a visit by Kim Yong-chol, Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, to the White House. Both sides threatened to cancel the summit after a round of joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea, with Trump even delivering a formal letter to Kim to call off the meeting; however, the two sides eventually agreed to meet. A second meeting was held between Trump and Kim in February 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
==== Hanoi Summit ====
The 2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit, commonly known as the Hanoi Summit, was a two-day summit meeting between North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. president Donald Trump, held at the French Colonial Hôtel Métropole in Hanoi, Vietnam, during February 27–28, 2019. It was the second meeting between the leaders of North Korea and the United States following their first meeting in Singapore the previous year.
On February 28, 2019, the White House announced that the summit was cut short and that no agreement was reached. Trump later clarified that it was due to North Korea's request to end all sanctions. The North Korean foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, asserted that the country only sought a partial lifting of the five United Nations sanctions placed on North Korea between 2016 and 2017.
==== The DMZ Summit ====
The 2019 Koreas–United States DMZ Summit was a one-day summit held at the Korean Demilitarized Zone between North Korean chairman Kim Jong-un, U.S. president Donald Trump, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in, following the 2019 G20 Osaka summit. Trump briefly stepped over the border at 3:45 PM (GMT+9) on June 30, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president had set foot on North Korean soil. It was also the second time since the end of the Korean War in 1953 that a North Korean leader entered the South's territory, following the April 2018 inter-Korean summit. Senior White House advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner (Trump's daughter and son-in-law) also attended the summit, with Ivanka Trump and U.S. envoy to South Korea Harry B. Harris Jr. holding a meeting with Kim later broadcast on North Korean TV.
==== Biden and Harris Administration Against North Korea ====
President Biden unlike his predecessor, Trump, took a tough stance with North Korea that for multiple times escalated tensions between the two nations to a point of starting a military conflict. Under Biden, the United States worked with Japan and South Korea along with other several Asian nations such as Taiwan in intimidating the North Korean government through continuous military exercises and naval blockades. However, North Korea only responded with nuclear threats and the placement of military troops close to the DMZ. When Biden died and was replaced with vice president Kamala Harris, the US took a lesser tough stance on North Korea but still nevertheless acknowledged the threat of the country and opposed its nuclear testing. 
Kamala Harris would meet with Kim Jung - Un on April 2023 for talks of denuclearization of North Korea in the Manila Summit of 2023 but these talks would end in no result after a week. President Harris would increase US military presence in the DMZ and the naval borders of North Korea while also continuing the military exercises with South Korea or Japan. Harris would also send multiple missile systems to South Korea and according to some rumors (which proved to be untrue), a nuclear weapon that is set to target Pyongyang in case of war. These actions by the Harris administration would further escalate the tension between the US and North Korea. 
==== Chemical Bombings of Seoul and Pyongyang ====
On the morning of August 9 2023, two white vans with unregistered license plates parked in the middle of a busy plaza in the entertainment district of Seoul. Two unknown individuals affiliated with the Pacifist Terrorist Group exited from the two vans, posing as electricians and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the vans partially empty. By the start of the afternoon, two policemen were called by a concerned citizen who claimed that the two vans were suspicious since the drivers or anyone had not come back for a long period of time. These policemen would assure the citizen that it was probably a harmless situation and tried to prove it by heading to the vans. Suddenly upon reaching a close distance with the vans, the vehicles exploded, destroying everything that is 95 km around it while poisoning a large portion of the district with a unknown chemical weapon similar to mustard gas that even managed to reach other parts of Seoul. 
At the same time, a high-ranking North Korean general in Pyongyang was heading back to his home, escorted by armed vehicles, when a military truck slammed into the convoy where the general was. The general was injured but still alive then the whole area around him was destroyed by an explosion followed by chemical attacks that covered most of Northern Pyongyang. Multiple vehicles around the capital also detonated, killing a large number of military officials and civilians. A few bridges were also destroyed by small explosives along with a small number of aircraft and tank within the city or close to it. 
The bombings in both capitals in the peninsula escalated the tensions between the two nations into a road to war. President Yeol of South Korea condemned the attacks in Seoul and accused the North Koreans of launching bombs on their own citizens in an effort to hide their involvement in the destruction of Seoul. The South Korean Army were quickly mobilized along with their naval and aerial counterparts to the DMZ and the surrounding seas around North Korea. Missiles were pointed in the direction of the DMZ and civilians were evacuated in locations close to the Northern border. Meanwhile, North Korea accused that South Korea and the United States have provoked the peaceful nation into war. The DPRK quickly followed what its southern neighbor did and marched to war. 
The United States and People's Republic of China blamed each other for having a hand in escalating the conflict even going as far as accusing that they launched the bombings for their own goals. The United Nations called for a meeting in Berlin in hopes of preventing a war in the Korean peninsula with representatives from the US, China, South Korea, and even North Korea. The North Korean representatives demand an apology from South Korea and acceptance of responsibility to the bombings which was protested by South Korea who demanded that North Korea to hand over all chemical weapons. Both countries were supported by their respective allies throughout the rest of the meeting. Talks for peace collapsed within a week and by August 13, the first shots of war had started the Second Korean War. 
== War ==
=== Battle of Incheon (August 13 - September 9) ===
On August 13, a North Korean submarine launched a missile and sank a South Korean civilian ship near the city of Incheon, after receiving orders from Pyongyang. Missiles targeting the North Korean side of the DMZ were launched and hit multiple locations, killing 300 North Korean soldiers and damaging a large number of military vehicles from tanks to artillery. North Korean planes entered South Korea following the artillery attack then made their way towards Seoul in increasing speed and upon arrival, started dropping bombs that destroyed what remained of the capital that wasn't annihilated by the chemical bombings. The North Korean 1st Army stormed the DMZ, overwhelming the prepared South Korean defenders and inflicting enough casualties that force the South Koreans to evacuate regions in close distance of the northern border. 
On August 14, the KPA reached Incheon within a few hours after capturing surrounding regions north of the city using paratroopers and blitzkrieg tactics not seen since the Second World War. KPA planes launched a large scale bombing campaign using both cold war and modern era aircraft as the first North Korean troops saw Incheon. Artillery cannons by the KPA opened fire on the city that intensified the bombardment and increased the damage being inflicted to the city. Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) had launched their first offensive into North Korean occupied territory in the region of Inge-gun but the offensive was eventually called off after ROKA forces faced heavy resistance by KPA defenders. The South Korean government (who have been evacuated to Busan) decided to continue the defense of Incheon as losing the city would be a massive blow to morale for the south and a strategic lost since Incheon was the only place to have enough distance to launch successful missile attacks on the DMZ or nearby North Korean cities. 
By August 18, the northern outer regions within the city was entered by KPA forces but their advance was slowed by hidden traps and machine gun nests. KPA planes were forced to stop their aerial bombardment and depended on the artillery to continue the attack as South Korean aircraft have already taken down more than 15 of KPA bombers or attack aircraft. The ROKA troops within the unoccupied parts of Incheon had reinforced it to a point that the city was turned into a "impregnable" fortress. KPA marines started landing in the harbor just to be forced back into the sea by resilient South Korean defenders but these defenders would face continuous naval bombardments by the KPA navy until the arrival of their own navy by August 25. 
The Battle of Incheon fully began when ROKA and KPA troops met face to face then started firing at each other in the district of Geomam-Dong. KPA tanks smashed the weaker parts of the ROKA defense in the city but were immediately destroyed by anti-tank weaponry held by ROKA troops. In some parts of the city, ROKA soldiers were forced to retreat due to the number of KPA troops and armored vehicles along with the intensifying artillery bombardment by KPA cannons and missiles. KPA marines had successfully landed in one part of the city where the defenses were already weakened and began moving inwards but were stalled by ROKA resistance. 
On September 5, the situation of the ROKA in Incheon was at a low point as their aircraft were sent into other cities or regions that were attacked by KPA forces. KPA troops continued to pour in into the city despite the increasing number of casualties inflicted on them by the South Koreans with more superior weaponry but what the remaining ROKA defenders lacked was the number of troops they had. When it was realized that Incheon could not be hold, the small number of 5,000 ROKA troops out of the 30,000 ROKA defenders were ordered to completely retreat from the city but they were also ordered to install thousands of hidden traps which proved to be a problem for the KPA in their hold of the city. Incheon would completely fall in September 9. 
=== Siege of Seoul (September 3 - September 25) ===
Even after the seemingly complete destruction of most of Seoul during the chemical bombings and North Korean bombardments, the capital was still in some way in a stable position. Only 300 ROK troops were placed in the city to hold it but not for the strategic location, instead holding Seoul was symbolic as the fall of Seoul would probably completely shatter the South Korean morale. On August 15, the US 1st Pacific Division and the UN 3rd Pacific Division along with needed supplies such as weapons arrived at Seoul to reinforce South Korean defenders. 
The Battle of Seoul began on September 3, a few days before the fall of Incheon, when KPA tanks smashed through the northern regions of Seoul followed by an aerial bombardment that lasted for the whole day. ROK troops retreated further into the capital as KPA forces rapidly pushed their way towards the center of the city but faced heavy resistance which resulted in heavy casualties. On September 7, the KPA 18th and 26th Armored Division began occupying the outer regions in Eastern Seoul then began establishing artillery positions while the KPA 6th Infantry Division launched an offensive in Western Seoul. 
The first few days saw defeats for the South Koreans but the city continued to stay in South Korean hands until September 10 when North Korean special forces parachuted behind ROK lines and began sabotaging supply lines which prevented the defenders from properly being strengthened. On September 14, the KPA 18th Armored Division and 56th infantry division launched an offensive and inflicted heavy casualties on the South Koreans. The US forces in the area, in response to the offensive, gathered a combined force of 3,000 South Koreans and Americans then launched a counter offensive on the occupied western regions of Seoul to force the North to divert some of their forces in order to allow the South Koreans to retreat. Further heavy urban fighting continued throughout several days and intensified on September 15 when the North Koreans launched coordinated offensives and heavy bombardment on the remaining ROK positions in the city. 
The US-South Korean forces knew that the Battle of Seoul was over as the KPA rapidly pushed forward on the collapsing frontlines. On September 25 after almost a month of brutal fighting, the South Koreans and what remained of the US forces left Seoul to the North Koreans. The flag of the DPRK was later raised, a day later, signifying the fall of the capital to the communists. 
=== The Battle of Ch'o - Do (November 19 - December 25) ===
After the multiple defeats in Seoul, Incheon, and other parts in South Korea, the US and its Pacific Allies formed the the United Pacific Command as a way to better strategize, supply, and combat the KPA. General Malarty of the US Pacific forces took command of the UPC and began forming an invasion on the small island of Ch'o - Do which was under the KPA control following the start of the conflict. He believed that taking the island would not only damage the morale of the North Koreans and instead would strengthen the morale within the allied forces but would allow the UPC to launch bombing runs on North Korea itself. 
On November 19, a large invasion force of the UPC 16th Marine Division and the 25th Army Division landed secretly on the western beaches of the island after the 12th UPC special forces division sabotaged the radar systems of the KPA on the day before. As the invasion force landed, US aircraft attacked KPA AA defenses and machine gun bunkers while the South Korean navy bombarded the coastal defenses to better cover up the landings. On November 20, the UPC began their attack on the island as UPC marines stormed the multiple bunkers and bases of the KPA throughout the island, catching the North Koreans off guard. The UPC 25th Army Division with the support of the US air force meanwhile battled with the KPA tanks and pushed them north, destroying most of the armored divisions of the KPA in the island. 
The UPC also launched another naval landing on the west and pushed further inland on November 23. The KPA attempted to launch an counterattack on the island but was repulsed by the South Korean navy. By November 30, half of the island was in UPC hands while the other half was continuously bombarded by the US air force. On December 2, the UPC pushed on the north of the island and the island was eventually captured on December 25 leading to the first victory of the UPC. The KPA tried to take the island back multiple times during the entire conflict but was easily repulsed by the heavily supplied and trained defenders. 
=== Fall of Chuncheon ( August 15 2024 - September 1) ===
On August 15, the KPA 35th Armored Division and the 6th Infantry Division invaded the city of Chuncheon in an attempt to strengthen their control on the rivers in the northern regions of South Korea. KPA bombers began a massive firebombing of the city followed by a chemical bombings by artillery on several parts of the city. Only a few divisions held the city and were forced further into the city, abandoning everything north to the North Koreans who quickly captured most of northern Chuncheon by August 20.
As the South Koreans digged in for a siege, KPA paratroopers landed behind the frontlines of the enemy, catching the South Koreans off guard but the paratroopers were eventually beaten. However, this gave the KPA the opportunity to launch an offensive to take the rest of the city on August 29. Large numbers of North Korean soldiers attacked the frontlines supported by tanks and helicopters that inflicted heavy casualties on the ROK defenders but the city still stood tall against the communists which allowed the US to send the 19th and 20th Marine Division to reinforce their allies in Chuncheon. 
The South Korean 54th Division and the US Divisions attempted to launch a counterattack on the attacking KPA by outflanking them through the east. This action would prove disastrous as they were eventually ambushed and almost destroyed by the KPA forces who had known about the attack thanks to their intelligence. At the same time, another offensive was launched and eventually forced the ROK forces in what remained of Chuncheon to hastily evacuate, completely leaving the city on September 1. 
=== South Korean Retreat (September 1 - October 2) ===
The failure of the South Koreans in holding Incheon, Seoul, and Chuncheon along with other major cities led the South Korean government with the support of the UPC ordered the mass evacuations of all military and civilian population in the north to the southern regions of South Korea. The KPA took advantage of the mass evacuation by rapidly encircling massive numbers of ROK military forces and occupying large swaths of large within a month while suffering minimal casualties. 
KPA bombers also targeted civilian targets by bombing evacuation and refugee centers while KPA troops were ordered to execute every South Korean whether military or not. However not everything was at the advantage of North Korea since the UPC still had air superiority over the peninsula which proved useful in delaying the KPA's rapid advance along with the continued naval stalemate between the KPA navy and the South Korean navy in the Sea of Japan. There were also large scale guerilla attacks by the newly formed resistance group called the Korean Democratic Revolutionary Army under the leadership of South Korean general Lee Ming Hyuk that greatly hampered the war effort of the North Koreans. 
The Great Retreat as called by the historians finally ended on October 2 after a brutal but effective fighting withdrawal of the South Koreans against North Korea when the remaining ROK forces formed a new frontline in the south. The North Korean armies attempted to launch further attacks against their southern enemies, hoping to force the government to sign a surrender treaty but these efforts would fail following multiple large scale battles ending with a stalemate or a South Korean victory. Meanwhile, South Korea was also targeting the supply routes of the North Koreans within the occupied regions and sent support to the resistance forces in their fight against the North. 
=== Battle of Daejeon (October 25 - December 19) ===
On October 25, the 29th KPA Army launched an all out attack at the frontline military headquarters of the UPC at the city of Daejeon. The UPC knew about the attack on their headquarters but assumed that it would come next year and they were caught off guard by the sudden offensive of the North as KPA bombers burned large portions of Daejeon to the ground. KPA artillery covered the infantry advance while they were protected by numerous armored vehicles from humvees to tanks as they moved further inward to the city. Just like the Battle of Seoul and Incheon, heavy bloody urban fighting began between the UPC and the North Koreans. 
Fighting continued with no results until December 1 when the UPC destroyed the 19th KPA air force wing leading to the deaths of many experienced North Korean pilots. The destruction of the air support of the 29th KPA Army in the ground allowed the UPC to begin bombing runs on the unprotected KPA troops in the ground without fear of being shot down by aerial threats. These bombing runs forced the KPA to abandon several parts of the city as both the aerial attacks and ground offensives of the UPC were to much to handle for the tired North Koreans who were already starting to break apart due to the numerous casualties being inflicted to them. General Park Ying-Sun who headed the KPA forces in the area which included Incheon ordered other KPA divisions to reinforce the rapidly depleting army in the city but were eventually too late as by December 15, the city was completely under the control of South Korea. 
On December 17, 5 KPA divisions launched an attack on Incheon but were easily repulsed by the UPC defenders that led to the destruction. Fighting for Incheon ended effectively on December 18 after a massive offensive by the UPC 10th Army destroyed nearby North Korean encampments holding several army divisions that were supposed to launch attacks against the city in the next few days. Yet, North Korea continued to launch bombings on Incheon until the eventual retreat by the communists. 
=== The Last Stand In Busan (December 20 - January 1 2025) ===
Kim Jung-Un knew that it would only take a few offensives against the South Koreans to finally end the war so on December 20, he initiated Operation Last Show. The KPA 17th Army and the 29th Army with massive aerial support launched a coordinated offensive into Busan where the remains of the South Korean government remained. By December 25, half of the city was under the control of the North Koreans. The US, fearing that Busan would fall, led a risky naval landing in the city of Nampo which was close to the capital but this was heavily conflicted between US generals. Meanwhile, the South Koreans managed to form a proper defensive position in the unoccupied sectors of Busan, repelling numerous attacks by the North Koreans until the arrival of UPC reinforcements that ended any North Korean hopes of a swift victory with the fall of Busan.
On December 31, the US 4th Pacific Fleet arrived in the coast of Nampo, disguised as Chinese warships thanks to the successful US intelligence and deception campaign. US and South Korean bomber planes which were still disguised as Chinese vehicles launched a bombing campaign on Nampo, targeting AA defenses, military buildings, and governmental institutions within the city, killing hundreds of innocent North Korean civilians. As the city was still being bombed, the UPC 34th Marine Division rapidly formed a beachhead and allowed the UPC 35th Army to move inward to Nampo. 
The invasion of Nampo forced the North Koreans to divert their resources leading to the end of all major operations in Busan by January 1. 
=== Gwangju Offensive (January 23 - April 3) ===
On January 23, the first major offensive by the UPC began from the city of Gwangju. The UPC 3rd and 8th Army pushed forward, heading towards the occupied city of Jinju which was used as a major communication hub for the North Koreans attacking Busan. At the same time, the US 4th Pacific Army launched their own independent offensive by landing in the shores of the city of Gunsan while the South Koreans led massive naval landings on Ansan. 
The UPC armies faced little resistance as most of the North Koreans were sent to fight the US forces in Nampo and arrived at Jinju by February 2 where they immediately began surrounding the city then bombarding it using their aircraft along with missiles. The US successfully established positions in Gunsan but were unable to move forward due to increased North Korean reinforcements while the South Koreans were inflicted with heavy casualties that led to the deaths of over 30,000 troops until they eventually established multiple beachheads in Ansan. 
On March, the UPC finally entered the city of Jinju and liberated the city by March 20, losing over 500 men to the 800 remaining North Koreans. In Gunsan, the US moved forward and intense fighting against North Korea began for the control of the city with the Americans controlling most of the city by March 18. Meanwhile, the South Koreans captured southern Ansan after heavy armored fighting. 
=== Freedom Offensive (April 25 - August 15) ===
The North Korean forces were stretched into a breaking point as the UPC launched more offensives and naval landings throughout the peninsula, forcing the Kim government to divert their forces into different areas which allowed the ROK to easily liberate multiple towns or cities. The KPA air force was also forced to fall back from the southern regions of South Korea, leaving their ground forces as easy targets by UPC aircraft and preventing the North to have an aerial advantage over their enemy. Meanwhile, the navy of the KPA was also forced to pull out of the Yellow Sea completely and leave most of the Sea of Japan to UPC hands. In the homefront, morale is slowly falling part as riots and protests against the war by a large percentage of the North Korean population begin cropping throughout North Korea. The situation of the KPA only worsened as the Korean Resistance strengthened and increased their guerilla attacks by assassinating high ranking North Korean officials and destroying important trade or communication routes. 
The UPC, knowing about the issues faced by the North Koreans, launched the Freedom Offensive on April 25 with a hundred million soldiers of the UPC, ROK, and US forces being part of the operation. The UPC 6th, 10th, and 3rd Army launched simultaneous offensives to the north, rapidly capturing the cities of Jeonju-si and Iksan, encircling the North Korean forces in Gunsan. The ROK 12th Army and the 8th Marine Corps on May 3 launched a naval landing on Gangneung with the city falling to their control after 3 weeks of fighting. The US 34th Marine Corps landed on Ansan and supported their South Korean allies in finally ending the fight for the city on May 15.
The KPA responded by launching counteroffensive's but unlike the first year of the war, the North Korean forces were undersupplied, demoralized, and undermanned which led to most of these attacks to fail. The KPA air force attempted to force the allied US-Korean forces out of Ansan but were immediately destroyed by the US air force. The same result applied for the KPA navy in Gangneung and Gunsan. 
On June 24, the UPC launched the largest naval landing in korean history when they invaded the North Korean region of Sondup'yung and occupied a large portion of southeastern North Korea by July 14. Meanwhile, after the heavy brutal fighting for Nampo, the city finally fell to US forces when UPC and South Korean reinforcements arrived. The UN forces joined the conflict on July 18 after a UN diplomat was killed by a KPA airstrike. 
A UN force of 2 million men launched multiple naval landings on the many islands surrounding North Korea, encircling the country and imposing a militarized naval blockade by July 19 . The occupied city of Gunsan was liberated by US forces on July 20, ending major fighting in or around the city. A combined force of the UN and UPC launched a massive offensive on July 23 in a effort to finally end the North Korean occupation of most of South Korea with the capture of Seoul and Incheon. The combined allied forces fought their way towards the capital, liberating Daejeon and destroying the veteran 1st and 3rd KPA Army in brutal heavy urban battles. The KPA air force was practically annihilated by the US air force and most of the KPA navy was confined to waters close to fortified cities in North Korea, leaving everything in the south weakened and unprotected. 
=== Liberation of Seoul (August 25 - December 25) ===
On August 25, the UN 29th Army Division arrived at the gates of occupied Seoul. Most of the KPA forces with the capital were conscripts and were heavily under supplied. This was eventually exploited by the US Air Force which began launching strategic bombing runs around Seoul, killing hundreds of KPA soldiers along with civilians and destroying most of the North Korean defenses around the city. The UN artillery also pummeled targeted supply storages, leading to widespread starvation and discontent among the KPA troops. 
The ROK 40th Division attacked Seoul on August 27 and liberated most of Seoul while only suffering minimal casualties. At the same time, the US 15th Army launched a coordinated offensive on the defenses of the KPA that showed weak spots, destroying them by September 12 and allowing the US troops to liberate a large portion of the city from North Korean control after intense fighting. The UPC 7th Army launched a diversionary offensive to capture Incheon to prevent the North Koreans from diverting troops and resources in holding Seoul. 
On September 23, the Second Battle of Seoul finally caught the attention of the Chinese government which had been supporting their communist allies in the north by sending weapons, supplies, and volunteers but refrained from joining the conflict entirely. It wasn’t until the massive defeats faced by the KPA in South Korea that Chinese President Xi Jinping began to worry of a North Korean defeat. These worries combined with the possible encirclement of China by western friendly nations led to the Chinese Communist Party eventually joining the war as a major combatant, similar to the first war. 
However as the first Chinese troops entered the peninsula on November 10, Seoul had fallen and its remaining defenders either surrendered or killed. By December 25 after further offensives by the desperate KPA that were repulsed, the South Korean government arrived at the capital, declaring victory over the North Koreans and began making plans for the total defeat of North Korea along with the inevitable reunification. Yet even with Seoul being liberated, the KPA which had now possession of Chinese aircraft and missiles bombarded the city throughout the rest of the conflict until the fall of Pyongyang. 
On December 30, Kim Jung-Un and the rest of the government in Pyongyang realized that their invasion of the south has failed so they ordered the complete evacuation of all remaining KPA forces in South Korea despite protests from the Chinese. By the time that the UPC broke through the KPA lines and arrived at the city of Incheon, North Korean forces had already left. Many more cities such as Chuncheon would also be abandoned by the KPA due to the evacuations, allowing the South Koreans to end all major fighting in South Korea by January 4. 
=== The Massacre of Goseong-gun (January 6 2026 - January 10 ) ===
On January 6, the ROK 19th Army entered the region of Goseong-gun and were horrified of what they've seen. The ROK forces encountered and entered hundreds of concentration camps housing many South Koreans whether the young, adult, or old who suffered from the brutality of the North Korean captors. There were also death camps and work camps that saw similar or worse carnage around the region, with many bodies lying in the ground that were either shot or beaten. These greatly affected the mentality of not only the ROK forces but the arriving UPC, US, and UN forces. Due to these discoveries made by the allied forces, the International Criminal Court was brought in to prepare war trials for North Korean officials responsible for the camps. 
When the allied forces captured North Korean soldiers, the prisoners were often killed, tortured, or outright sent to concentration camps down in the south until the UN stepped up and ordered all captured KPA troops to be sent to UN controlled prison camps where they would be treated accordingly. Yet, reports of mass executions of KPA troops spread throughout the peninsula, striking fear to the North Koreans and earning praise from most of the allied forces. When the international community knew about what the KPA did and what the allies were doing to captured North Koreans, protests and riots calling for the end of human right violations along with hostilities began. 
=== The Fall of North Korea (February 10 - July 20) ===
The massive retreat of the North Koreans from South Korea allowed the UN, UPC, ROK, and US forces to rest temporarily and prepare for future offensives while their air forces began bombarding KPA bases and defenses on the DMZ and within the north. On February 10, the UN, US, ROK, and UPC head generals agreed to fully combine their forces into the Pacific Allied Forces under the leadership of the United Nations. 
The first major offensive by the PAF began on February 23 2025 when the PAF 1st Army attacked the KPA controlled DMZ. The PAF air force achieved aerial superiority over the DMZ but suffered large casualties against an air force of North Koreans and Chinese after days of fighting. PAF tanks along with their artillery smashed the KPA defenses and rapidly took over the DMZ, killing hundreds of KPA troops and destroying or capturing large amounts of military equipment. At the same time, the PAF forces in Sondup'yung pushed forward, breaking the KPA lines and uniting with the main force of the PAF invasion force. 
However, the early success by the PAF ended when the Chinese forces halted their offensive during the Battle of Togu-ri. From March to June, massive destructive and brutal battles occured throughout the frontlines between the PAF and the Chinese forces leading to the deaths of approximately 5 million people including civilians who were caught in the crossfire. The aerial battle over North Korea was temporarily in the advantage of the Chinese but the tables soon turned against them following the victory of the PAF air force in Nampo. Meanwhile, a naval stalemate was formed in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan that continued until the end of the conflict. 
As the battles in the peninsula intensified leading to the increase of casualties, many people particularly civilians in both sides called for the end of the conflict and the reestablishing of pre-war borders. 
On July, the People's Liberation Army and the KPA were eventually forced to retreat after the July Offensive. This action shocked China and its citizens who believed that their unstoppable large powerful army would be able to withstand whatever attack they faced. The failure of the Chinese armies in holding the line against the PAF led to anti-war protests forming around China. 
=== Chinese Pull-Out ===
Following the humiliating defeat of the Chinese during the July Offensive, large numbers of Chinese students took to the streets and began protesting for the end of the war throughout the Chinese mainland. The government responded by sending riot police and eventually the military to disperse the protesters but this simply worsened the situation that the country was facing. Hundreds of innocent students were killed, raped, and tortured by the Chinese military which for a while has been quietly hidden by the government until on August 5 when mysterious hackers (rumored to be from Taiwan) revealed the dark secrets of the oppressive CCP. 
The discovery by the Chinese population of the atrocities and lies committed by the Chinese government was the straw that broke the camel's back. The remaining protests increased in number as Chinese citizens of all ages joined the effort against the war on North Korea and as the government continued to respond with violence, these protests turned into large scale destructive riots that turned most Chinese cities into war zones. Most peaceful protesters turned into armed guerillas and began launching attacks against the Chinese government, their military, and their allies within the country but not enough to launch China into a second civil war. The call for the end of the conflict slowly became a call for the overthrow of the communist government and the reunification with Taiwan under a democratic capitalist government. 
Soldiers within the PLA were also shocked and disgusted about what their superiors and the government were doing. Mutinies immediately began in both the frontlines and in the homeland but these were brutally crushed by the Chinese military. Yet, more mutinies continued that heavily weakened the Chinese forces in Korea and in China, leading to more defeats in the conflict. In the frontlines of North Korea, most Chinese soldiers even high-ranking officers refused to follow orders of launching offensives from the Xi Jinping government and simply either stood in their place or retreated. 
The combination of the mutinies in the military and the riots in the cities which the Chinese military failed to suppress led the Chinese Congress to vote to pull out of the conflict. President Xi Jinping, in anger, was prepared to finally declare martial law throughout the country but after the Shanghai Bombings and the Beijing Riots, the Chinese leader eventually allowed the PLA to leave the conflict entirely. By the end of August, China had announced to the whole world that they would leave the conflict. However, the riots and mutinies still continued. 
=== Road to Pyongyang (September 1 -November 25) ===
The retreat of Chinese forces from the frontlines combined with the massive drop in morale along with dwindling supplies led to North Korea completely ordering a withdrawal, allowing the PAF to move forward. However, the allies still faced resistance from North Korean forces through ambushes and booby traps such as mine fields. In September 3, the PAF finally took Nampo from the North Koreans after almost 2 years of brutal fighting for the city. The North Korean air force without Chinese support were once again completely destroyed by the superior PAF that resulted in the deaths of over 300 pilots by the end of September. 
By October 5, the PAF were at the gates of Pyongyang, bombing the city with their bombers and artillery. Meanwhile, the PAF 6th Army landed in Hamhung without any opposition as most KPA troops were at Pyongyang or at the frontlines. The North Korean civilians, in response to the invasion of Hamhung, quickly formed multiple militias that proved to be a problem for the allies even after the conflict ended. The PAF 12th and 18th division moved southward from Hamhung to Pyongyang, in order to encircle the capital but were immediately faced with heavy resistance from both the KPA and the communist militias leading to high casualties in both sides. The PAF formed the National Anti-Rebellion Army (NARA) composed of North Koreans who opposed the Kim regime, South Koreans, and allied special forces team on October 29. The NARA forces managed to suppress the militias and forced their surrender or destroyed them, allowing the main PAF forces to conduct their military operations without any problems. 
On November 10, Pyongyang was encircled by PAF forces. The multiple mansions of Kim Jong-Un (which were occupied by the KPA) along with several top secret North Korean compounds in the northern regions were besieged by PAF and NARA forces until all of them were captured after huge battles. The KPA navy and what remained of the air force along with the remaining KPA forces in the north attempted to break the encirclement of Pyongyang through a last ditch offensive, just to be defeated and forced further back by the PAF troops. On November 25, Pyongyang was eventually considered a lost cause by the KPA high-ranking military officers that fled Pyongyang and were forced to divert all resources to the frontlines in the north. 
=== The Battle of Pyongyang (November 25 - December 25) ===
The last major battle in the Second Korean War began on November 25 when the PAF 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Armies pushed in from the south towards the city while the PAF 4th Army with the support of the NARA 2nd Army launched an offensive from the north. The PAF launched massive aerial bombings throughout the attack, not giving the KPA defenders within the city a chance to form a proper defense. By November 30, most of the capital had fallen into the hands of the PAF with the remaining being obliterated by the PAF artillery, killing hundreds of KPA troops and civilians. The People's Court of North Korea which served as the North Korean symbol of victory and determination was captured by the PAF forces after brutal room to room fighting. The capture of the People's Court along with the complete destruction of the North Korean forces in the city forced Kim Jong-Un along with his remaining generals and allies to a heavily secured bunker in the Leader's Mansion. 
==== Kim Jung - Un Captured ====
By December 1, Pyongyang had all but surrendered to the PAF forces. The head general of the KPA defenders, General Lee Ping-Soo, signed a surrender with the PAF head general, General Smith that saw the KPA forces that still remained to immediately put down their arms and be captured by the allies. 
However, some divisions of the KPA in the city refused to surrender as Kim Jong-Un still remained as the leader of the country. General Smith, in response, ordered Operation Kingfish which was the capture of the major leadership that remained in Pyongyang. 
==== Formation of the North Korean Provisional Government ====
==== Coup of North Korea ====
==== The Collapse of the North Korean Military Junta ====
=== The Surrender ===
== Aftermath ==
=== The Incheon Trials ===
After multiple battles against the remaining loyalists and the signing of the surrender treaty, South Korea with the assistance of the United States, United Nations, and the International Criminal Court began the Incheon Trials on January 25 2027 in order to put South Korean collaborators with North Korea to justice. The other purposes of the trial was to not only convict South Koreans who allied themselves with the communist north but to also show the whole world the true horrors of modern warfare done by a vengeful authoritarian nation such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 
The Incheon Trials were set in the city of Incheon which was still being rebuild during the course of the trials. The convicted were defended by lawyers from South Korea and the former north that were heavily investigated and inspected by the South Koreans along with the Americans. Meanwhile, prosecutors from North Korea, South Korea, China, US, Japan, Russia, and the Philippines arrived to successfully bring the accused to prison. The trials were closely monitored by South Korea and the UN in fears that these trials would be manipulated by either the US or the Chinese for their own gain. The newly constructed Incheon Justice Court was used as the location for the trials and was heavily guarded by UN troops. The jail cells of the accused, the rooms of the prosecutors, rooms of the defense lawyer, and the rooms of the witnesses were also guarded by the UN and under the organizations jurisdiction. 
A few days before the trial, the prosecutors laid out the charges that would be use to indict the accused: 
* Crimes Against Loyalty (Cause of Collaboration) 
*Crimes Against Peace (Support For War ) 
*Crimes Against Humanity (Support or Direct Cause of Human Right Violations) 
*Crimes Against Democracy And Freedom (Undemocratic Actions) 
The Trials would officially begin in January 25 2027 with the first set of collaborators being put in trial. The first set of collaborators are those of high ranking status who were confirmed to have been in contact with the North Korean or Chinese leadership. One of these collaborators is a previously military private and politician named Kim - Yung Si who was the collaborator with the highest power during the conflict as he controlled most of the occupied regions where he instituted harsh methods of population controls leading to multiple human right violations. Mr Si would be found guilty and would be sentenced to life in prison but his sentence would not be carried out as he was assassinated by a vengeful citizen who was victim under Si's rule. 
By the end of the trials, 15 would be sentenced to 5 or 3 years in prison, 20 would be put on house arrest, 8 would be in prison for life, 10 would be exiled, and 5 would be executed. However, at least 8 would be found innocent but secretly put in observation by UN and South Korean intelligence. 
=== The Pyongyang Trials ===
3 years after the end of the Korean War, the International Criminal Court and the United Nations held the Pyongyang Trials to prosecute war criminals that were directly or indirectly part of the war effort of the North Korean. The accused were civilian, high ranking military and political officers who lived or commanded the war in North Korea. 
The Pyongyang Trials were set in the former North Korean capital of Pyongyang on January 5, 2030 in the newly constructed People’s Court of the Northern Regions. The reason for the trials being held after almost 3 years was because the South Korean Army with the United Nations and United States were still hunting suspected war North Korean criminals or still in the midst of investigating their crimes. Similar to the Incheon Trials, the North Korean criminals were defended by surviving North Korean lawyers and a few Chinese lawyers while the prosecutors were from the North Korean Democratic Resistance Army, South Korea, US, and Japan. The trials were also monitored by the UN and the International Criminal Court. The accused were placed in jail cells located in a relatively unknown small island located in Japan while the witnesses and prosecutors were put in strong protection in Australia or the Philippines. 
The charges that would be used for the indication of the accused are the following:
* Crimes Against Peace
* Crimes Against Humanity
During the trials, at least 50 North Koreans that were part of the military and civilian administration were put to trial and by the end of the trials, 10 were put in prison in a specific number of years, 15 were out in prison for life, 29 would be executed, and 14 would be exiled including the Kim family. Kim Jung - Un was sent in prison for life in a heavily secured island in the pacific. 
=== The Unification ===
As the Incheon and later, Pyongyang Trials were going on, the UN with the South Koreans began planning for total reunification of the Korean Peninsula under the South Korean government. However, the Chinese government greatly protested the unification as they believe a US friendly government near their nation was a threat to the existence of the People’s Republic of China. The Xi Jinping government proposed the creation of a new “democratic” government in North Korea that is friendly for both the US and China. The US in response, refused to agree or even allow such an action to happen that there were rumors that President Warren threatened war if there would be no reunification.
The United Nations wished for the Chinese and Americans to agree for reunification of Korea so they formed the Tokyo Summit. These summit would allow the Chinese to present their own terms and their Americans to do the same for the future of Korea. A UN committee would preside over the summit and observe which terms can be agreed by the two nations.
After intense negotiations between the US and China, an agreement was eventually made.For the US, the Korean peninsula would be united under the South Korean government that neither US or China friendly with all US troops leaving the nation. China meanwhile would form a new DMZ in the border with Korea and would sign a non-aggression agreement with the Korean government. 
By 2029, the new nation of the Korean Confederation under the former South Korean government was recognized by the UN, China, and the United States. 
=== The Korean People's Revolutionary Army ===
5 years after the end of the war, a terrorist cell bombed a commercial center in Incheon, killing 30 innocent Koreans. The terrorists revealed themselves to be former North Koreans and sympathizers of the North Korean regime called the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army or the KPRA. Korean military intelligence with the support of the United States investigated and discovered that the KPRA had about 5,000 men with at least a half of them being paid mercenaries and other terrorists who are allied with them. 
The Korean Confederation Army (KCA) launched the first counterinsurgency attack on the KPRA on March 5 2031 in 
=== Threats, Consequences, and Collapse ===
== Links and References ==
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_North_Korea%E2%80%93United_States_Singapore_Summit 
Category:Empress Of The Orient Sea
Category:Wars
Category:Korean War
Category:Civil Wars