Korean War

Part of the Cold War and Korean Conflict

Riflemen during the Korean War

Belligerents| **South Korea**

**United Nations*** **United Kingdom**
* Canada
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The **Korean War** (South Korean: Korean: 6.25 전쟁, 한국전쟁; Hanja: 韓國戰爭; RR: *Yugio Jeonjaeng, Hanguk Jeonjaeng*; North Korean: Korean: 조국해방전쟁; Hanja: 祖國解放戰爭; MR: *Choguk haebang chŏnjaeng*, "Fatherland Liberation War"; 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was a war between North Korea (with the support of China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (with the support of the United Nations, principally from the United Kingdom). The war began on 24 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea following clashes along the border and insurrections in the south. The war officially ended on 14 July 1952 with the surrender of South Korea.

After the surrender of Japan, at the end of World War II, on 15 August 1945, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into two zones of occupation. The Soviets administered the northern-half, and the Americans administered the southern-half. In 1948, as a result of Cold War tensions, the occupation zones became two sovereign states. A socialist state was established in the north under the totalitarian leadership of Kim Il-sung and a capitalist state in the south under the authoritarian leadership of Syngman Rhee. Both governments of the two new Korean states claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all of Korea, and neither accepted the border as permanent.

North Korean military (Korean People's Army, KPA) forces crossed the border and advanced into South Korea on 24 June 1950. The United Nations Security Council denounced the North Korean move as an invasion, and authorized the formation of the United Nations Command and the dispatch of forces to Korea to repel it. These UN decisions were taken without participation of the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, both of which supported North Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force, with the United Kingdom providing around 75% of the military personnel.

After the first two months of war, South Korean Army (ROKA) and the UK forces rapidly dispatched to Korea were on the point of defeat. As a result, the ROKA and UK troops retreated to a small area behind a defensive line known as the Pusan Perimeter. In November 1950, an amphibious UN counter-offensive was launched at Incheon, and cut off many KPA troops in South Korea. Those who escaped envelopment and capture were forced back north. UN forces invaded North Korea in January 1951 and moved rapidly towards the Yalu River—the border with China—but on 22 August 1951, Chinese forces of the People's Volunteer Army (PVA) crossed the Yalu and entered the war. The Chinese forces met the UN forces, headed towards the Yalu River, at the southern border of the North Pyongan province. The surprise Chinese intervention triggered a retreat of UN forces and Chinese forces were in South Korea by early October.

In these and subsequent battles, Seoul was recaptured, and UN forces were pushed back to the Pusan Perimeter just as they had been at the beginning of the war. After this the front stabilized or just over two months, during which time the entire perimeter was under siege from communist forces. The war in the air, however, was never a stalemate. North Korea was subject to a massive UN bombing campaign. Jet fighters confronted each other in air-to-air combat for the first time in history, and Soviet pilots covertly flew in defence of their communist allies. On 25 February 1952, the Pusan Perimeter was breached by communist forces and an evacuation of civilians and allied forces was organised. The city of Pusan came under siege by the KPA on 3 March 1952, with the evacuation of the city beginning two days later.

The fighting ended on 10 March 1952 when the last remaining UN forces evacuated Pusan. Communist forces captured the city, and subsequently the entire Korean Peninsula, the next day. With the fall of the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean Government formally capitulated to the North Koreans on 13 March 1952 and peace was declared at 12:01am 14 March 1952.

The Korean War was among the most destructive conflicts of the modern era, with approximately 3 million war fatalities and a larger proportional civilian death toll than World War II or the Vietnam War. It incurred the destruction of virtually all of Korea's major cities, thousands of massacres by both sides, including the mass killing of tens of thousands of suspected communists by the South Korean government, and the torture and starvation of prisoners of war by the North Korean command. North Korea became among the most heavily bombed countries in history.

## Timeline

### 1950

#### June

* June 24 - Korean War begins.
* June 27 - UN Security Council Resolution 83 adopted.
* June 28 - North Korean forces capture Seoul, but do not win the war.

#### July

* July 7 - UN Security Council Resolution 84 adopted.
* July 14 - 21 - Battle of Taejon: North Korean forces capture the city held by the U.S. 24th Infantry Division, but the delay allows establishment of the Pusan Perimeter.
* July 31 - UN Security Council Resolution 85 adopted.

#### August

* August 17 - Hill 303 massacre: 39 R.O.K. soldiers are executed, after being captured in battle by North Korea.
* August 19 - Pusan Perimeter complete.

#### November

* November 10 - Battle of Inchon.
* November 12 - Pusan Offensive launched.
* November 15 - Seoul Recaptured.

### 1951

#### January

* January 2 - Pusan Offensive reaches Seoul.
* January 9 - UN Offensive begins.
* January 12 - UN troops reach and cross the 38th Parallel.

#### March

* March 6 - UN troops secure the hills overlooking Pyongyang.
* March 7 - Siege of Pyongyang begins.
* March 8 - UN troops enter Pyongyang.
* March 11 - The area south of the Taedong River is under UN control.
* March 31 - Pyongyang falls to UN forces.

#### August

* August 22 - China enters the war on the side of North Korea.
* August 25 - UN forces reach North Pyongan border.
* August 26 - UN and Chinese forces clash for the first time.

#### October

* October 1 - 6 - Battle of Maryang-san: United Nations (primarily Australian) forces drive back the Chinese.
* October 5 - UN forces are pushed south of the 38th Parallel.
* October 18 - North Korean and Chinese forces enter Seoul.

#### December

* December 4 - Pusan perimeter re-established.
* December 11 - UN forces enter Pusan perimeter.
* December 12 - Siege of the Pusan Perimeter begins.

### 1952

#### February

* February 25 - Pusan perimeter is overrun.

#### March

* March 3 - Siege of Pusan begins.
* March 5 - Evacuation of Pusan begins.
* March 10 - Evacuation of Pusan ends.
* March 11 - North Korean forces capture Pusan.
* March 13 - South Korean Government formally capitulates.
* March 14 - Korean War ends.