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Korean War

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The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁, Russian: Корейская Война, Chinese: 朝鲜战争) took place between 25 June 1950 and 27 July 1953. It was a civil war fought between the Republic of Korea (South Korea), and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). South Korea was supported by the militaries of several countries of the United Nations, commanded by the United States. North Korea was supported by the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. The war began at 4:30 a.m. on 25 June 1950. The fighting stopped on 27 July 1953. More than two million Koreans had been killed, mostly in the North.

Korean War
Part of the Cold War and the Korean conflict
Clockwise from top left:
Date
  • 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (de facto)
    (3 years, 1 month and 2 days)
  • 25 June 1950 – present (de jure)
    (75 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 3 days)
Location
Result Inconclusive
Territorial
changes

Korean Demilitarized Zone established

  • North Korea gains the city of Kaesong, but loses a net total of 3,900 km2 (1,506 sq mi), including the city of Sokcho, to South Korea[13]
Belligerents
 South Korea  North Korea
Medical support:[1]
Other support:
Supported by:
Commanders and leaders
Strength
Peak strength
(combat troops):
Total strength[22][23]
(combat troops):
Peak strength
(combat troops):

Together: 1,742,000

Total:
China 2,970,000[30]
Soviet Union 72,000[29]
Together: 3,042,000
Casualties and losses
  • Total civilian deaths: 2–3 million (est.)[31][32]
  • South Koreans:
    990,968 total casualties[19]
  • North Koreans:
    1,550,000 total casualties (est.)[19]

Both sides blame each other for starting the war. The North, led by the communist Kim Il-Sung, was helped mostly by China, led by Mao Zedong, and the Soviet Union, led by Joseph Stalin. There was medical support from East Germany, led by Walter Ulbricht); Hungary, led by Mátyás Rákosi; Romania, led by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej; Czechoslovakia, led by Klement Gottwald; Poland, led by Bolesław Bierut; and Bulgaria. Other support came from Mongolia, led by Khorloogiin Choibalsan

The South, led by the nationalist Syngman Rhee, was helped by many countries in the United Nations, especially the United States. British troops were on the ground in smaller numbers. The U.S. forces included detachments from its Air Force and Navy.

The war ended on 27 July, 1953. The United States keeps troops in South Korea in case North Korea ever invades again. Both Koreas are divided by the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which crosses the 38th parallel.

Origins and causes

In 1910, fifteen years after the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan annexed Korea and was still ruling when World War II ended in 1945. After Japan had surrendered, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to split Korea into two occupation zones for a short time, with the Soviets occupying the north and the Americans occupying the south.

At the Moscow Conference of the Council of Foreign Ministers in December 1945, the Americans and the Soviets agreed on Korea having a provisional government, which would not last long. That became difficult because of the rise of the Cold War.[33]

The Cold War was an important cause in the Korean War. Relations between the two occupying powers were already bad, but when China became communist in October 1949, US President Harry Truman was very worried that other countries around China would go communist as well, such as Japan. The US Army was a twelfth the size that it had been of five years earlier.[34]

Stalin had recently lost a Cold War dispute over the Berlin Blockade and the subsequent airlift. Both powers argued mainly over fair border lines and the spread of communism.

Events

Casualties near Busan
UN Forces landing at Inchon

25 June 1950

  • North Korea invades South Korea across the 38th parallel and takes most of South Korea. The South Korean Army retreats to Busan.

July 1950

  • The United Nations Army intervenes and lands at Incheon, a small port just about halfway down South Korea. From there, they fight North Korea, push it past the border, and separate the Koreas close to the Chinese border just south of the Yalu River.
  • China starts to feel threatened since the war happens so close to it. It tells the UN and South Korea to return to the border and that they have no business to invade North Korea.
October 1950
  • The warning given by the Chinese is ignored by the UN (led by US General Douglas MacArthur) and so the Chinese People's Liberation Army intervenes and lands in North Korea and fights the UN forces until they are pushed past the border.
December 1950
February 1951
  • Fighting continues until order is restored and neither army is in each other's country, when peace talks begin.
11 April 1951
  • MacArthur is relieved of his commands for making public statements that contradicted the administration's policies. He wants to invade North Korea again.
March 1951 – 27 July 1953
  • Peace talks continue until 27 July 1953, when no peace is declared, but an armistice is signed by both countries, and the UN withdraws.

Results

Country Positive Negative
United States The expansion of communism is stopped from entering South Korea. Greece and Turkey join NATO. The Truman Doctrine is upheld. Found by other countries to be far too aggressive, which makes them nervous.
UN Countries united and militarily tested for first time Wins only by violence, not peace talks.
Both Koreas North Korea stays communist and gets treaty with China. South Korea stays capitalist. Many people die. Much property is wrecked. No reunification occurs.
People's Republic of China A foreign war unites the country and improves its rulers' prestige. Reputation damaged, political setback. Not allowed on UN Security Council until 1971.
Soviet Union The expansion of capitalism is stopped from entering North Korea. The Soviet Air Force is tested against that of United States. Loss of money, loses China's trust

Statistics

Total strength

  • Approximate numbers

United Nations

  • South Korea – 205,000 deaths – 905,800 wounded
  • United States – 100,503 ? deaths – 92,073 wounded
  • United Kingdom – 1,078 deaths – 2,674 wounded
  • Turkey – 721 deaths – 2,109 wounded
  • Canada – 507 deaths – 1,001 wounded
  • Australia – 380 deaths – 1,192 wounded
  • New Zealand – 34 deaths – 80 wounded
  • Netherlands – 150 deaths – 3 wounded
  • France – 69 deaths
  • Luxembourg – 2 deaths – 2 wounded

Communist

  • North Korea – 260,600 soldiers
  • China – 1,358,456 soldiers
  • Soviet Union – 26,000 soldiers
    • Total – 1,642,600 soldiers

Losses

Communists

  • North Korea – 257,806 deaths
  • China – about 180,000 deaths
  • Soviet Union – about 300 deaths

Television

The popular television show M*A*S*H, about American doctors serving in the Korean War, lasted longer than the fighting.

Korean War Media

  • Territory often changed hands early in the war, until the front stabilized.     Chinese and Soviet forces     North Korean forces     South Korean and United Nations forces

  • Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans fled south in mid-1950 after the North Korean army invaded

  • President Truman signing a proclamation declaring a national emergency and authorizing U.S. entry into the Korean War

  • A U.S. howitzer position near the Kum River, 15 July 1950

  • A soldier of the Dutch detachment of the UN forces in North Korea prepares to return sniper fire, 1952

  • G.I. comforting a grieving infantryman

  • Crew of an U.S. M24 Chaffee tank along the Nakdong River front, August 1950

  • US Air Force attacking railroads south of Wonsan on the eastern coast of North Korea

Related pages

References

  1. ↑ 임, 성호 (2020-06-19). "[6.25전쟁 70년 이역만리 한국서 수백만명 살리고 의술 전파까지"]. Yeonhap News. https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200618138900004?input=1195m. Retrieved 2021-04-04. 
  2. ↑ "6.25전쟁 당시 대한민국에 도움의 손길 내밀었던 이탈리아". Newsis. 2016-08-26. https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/003/0007432874?sid=102. Retrieved 12 April 2021. 
  3. ↑ "독일, 62년만에 6.25 전쟁 의료지원국에 포함…총 6개국으로 늘어". 헤럴드경제. 2018-06-22. http://news.heraldcorp.com/view.php?ud=20180622000293. Retrieved 2021-04-04. 
  4. ↑ Young, Sam Ma. Israel's Role in the UN during the Korean War. Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs 4 (3) (2010). p. 81–89. doi:10.1080/23739770.2010.11446616.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Morris-Suzuki, Tessa. Post-War Warriors: Japanese Combatants in the Korean War. The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus 10 (31) (29 July 2012). Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  6. ↑ Whan-woo, Yi. Pakistan's Defense Day rekindles Korean War relief aid. The Korea Times (16 September 2019). Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "Uruguay's little-known but important role in the Korean War". Korea.net. 2022-02-10. https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/HonoraryReporters/view?articleId=210531#:~:text=Through%20the%20U.N.%2C%20Uruguay%20donated,and%20after%20the%20Korean%20War. Retrieved 2022-09-04. 
  8. ↑ Edles, Laura Desfor. Symbol and Ritual in the New Spain: the transition to democracy after Franco (1998). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0521628853.
  9. ↑ Českoslovenští lékaři stáli v korejské válce na straně KLDR. Jejich mise stále vyvolává otazníky (in cs) (11 April 2013)Czech Radio. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Edwards, Paul M.. Korean War Almanac. Almanacs of American wars (2006). New York: Infobase Publishing. p. 528. ISBN 978-0816074679.
  11. ↑ Kocsis, Piroska. Magyar orvosok Koreában (1950–1957) (in hu). ArchivNet: XX. századi történeti források (2005). Budapest: Magyar Országos Levéltár. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  12. ↑ Romania's "Fraternal Support" to North Korea during the Korean War, 1950–1953 (December 2011)Wilson Centre. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  13. ↑ Birtle, Andrew J.. The Korean War: Years of Stalemate (2000)U.S. Army Center of Military History. p. 34. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  14. ↑ The Korean War, Volume 3 (2001)U of Nebraska Press. p. 692. ISBN 978-0803277960. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  15. ↑ Kane, Tim. Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950–2003. Reports (27 October 2004)The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
    Ashley Rowland (22 October 2008). "U.S. to keep troop levels the same in South Korea". Stars and Stripes. http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-to-keep-troop-levels-the-same-in-south-korea-1.84294. Retrieved 16 February 2013. 
    Colonel Tommy R. Mize, United States Army. U.S. Troops Stationed in South Korea, Anachronistic?. United States Army War College (12 March 2012)Defense Technical Information Center. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
    Louis H. Zanardi. Military Presence: U.S. Personnel in the Pacific Theater. Reports to Congressional Requesters (August 1991)United States General Accounting Office. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 USFK Public Affairs Office. USFK United Nations Command. United States Forces KoreaUnited States Department of Defense. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  17. ↑ Rottman, Gordon L.. Korean War Order of Battle: United States, United Nations, and Communist Ground, Naval, and Air Forces, 1950–1953 (2002)Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 126. ISBN 978-0275978358. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
    UK-Korea Relations. British Embassy Pyongyang (9 February 2012)Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 16 February 2013.[dead link]
    Jack D. Walker. A Brief Account of the Korean War. InformationRepublic of Korea Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  18. ↑ Land of the Morning Calm: Canadians in Korea 1950–1953. Veterans Affairs Canada (7 January 2013)Government of Canada. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  19. ↑ 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 Casualties of Korean War (in ko)Ministry of National Defense of Republic of Korea. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Edwards, Paul M.. Korean War Almanac. Almanacs of American wars (2006)Infobase Publishing. p. 517. ISBN 978-0816074679. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  21. ↑ Ramachandran, D. p (19 March 2017). "The doctor-heroes of war". The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/the-doctor-heroes-of-war/article17529390.ece. Retrieved 8 May 2019. 
  22. ↑ The Statistics of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2014 (E-BOOK) Archived 9 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
  23. ↑ The Statistics of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2014 (PDF) Archived 11 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine (in Korean)
  24. ↑ Fact Sheet: America's Wars". Archived 27 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Washington D.C., May 2017.
  25. ↑ 19만7056명 첫 全數조사 "젊은사람들 내 뒤에서 '얼마나 죽였길래' 수군수군 이젠 훈장 안 달고 다녀…세상이 야속하고 나 스스로 비참할 뿐". Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  26. ↑ Shrader, Charles R.. Communist Logistics in the Korean War. Issue 160 of Contributions in Military Studies (1995)Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 90. ISBN 978-0313295096. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  27. ↑ Zhang 1995, p. 257.
  28. ↑ Xiaobing, Li (2009). A History of the Modern Chinese Army Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. p. 105: "By December 1952, the Chinese forces in Korea had reached a record high of 1.45 million men, including fifty-nine infantry divisions, ten artillery divisions, five antiaircraft divisions, and seven tank regiments. CPVF numbers remained stable until the armistice agreement was signed in July 1953."
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Kolb, Richard K.. In Korea we whipped the Russian Air Force. VFW Magazine 86 (11) (1999). Retrieved 17 February 2013.[dead link]
  30. ↑ Xu, Yan. Korean War: In the View of Cost-effectiveness (29 July 2003)Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  31. ↑ Cumings, Bruce. The Korean War: A History (2011)Modern Library. p. 35. ISBN 9780812978964.
  32. ↑ Lewy, Guenter. America in Vietnam (1980)Oxford University Press. p. 450–453. ISBN 9780199874231.
  33. ↑ Keely Rogers and Jo Thomas, History 20th Century World – The Cold War (2008) p.50
  34. ↑ Active Duty Military Personnel, 1941–2011 inforplease.com

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