Korean War
War between North and South Korea, 1950–1953 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Korean War was fought between North Korea and South Korea; it began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea and ceased upon an armistice on 27 July 1953. North Korea was supported by the Soviet Union and China (PRC) while South Korea was supported by the United Nations Command (UNC) led by the United States (US).[lower-alpha 4]
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Korean War | |||||||||
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Part of the Cold War and the Korean conflict | |||||||||
Clockwise from top left:
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Belligerents | |||||||||
South Korea | North Korea | ||||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Strength | |||||||||
Peak strength (combat troops): |
Total: 2,970,000[32] 72,000[31] Together: 3,042,000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
When World War II ended, Korea, which had been a Japanese colony for 35 years, was liberated and then divided by the Soviet Union and US at the 38th parallel into two occupation zones.[lower-alpha 5] After political attempts for an independent and unified Korea stalled, each zone formed its own government in 1948. The north was led by Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, while the south by Syngman Rhee in Seoul. Both claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all Korea and engaged in limited battles along the border.[35][36][37]
After Seoul's persecution of communists, Pyongyang initiated an invasion and North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel on 25 June 1950.[38][39] In the absence of the Soviet Union,[lower-alpha 4] the United Nations Security Council denounced the attack and recommended countries to repel the North Korean army (KPA), under the United Nations Command.[41] UN forces comprised 21 countries, with the US providing around 90% of military personnel.[42][43]
After two months, the South Korean army (ROKA) and its allies were nearly defeated, holding onto only the Pusan Perimeter. In September 1950, however, UN forces landed at Inchon, cutting off KPA troops and supply lines. They invaded North Korea in October 1950 and advanced towards the Yalu River—the border with China. On 19 October 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) crossed the Yalu and entered the war.[38] UN forces retreated from North Korea following PVA's first and second offensive. Communist forces captured Seoul again in January 1951 before losing it. Following the abortive Chinese spring offensive, they were pushed back to the 38th parallel, and the final two years turned into a war of attrition.
The combat ended on 27 July 1953 when the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, allowing the exchange of prisoners and the creation of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The conflict displaced millions of people, inflicting 3 million fatalities and a larger proportion of civilian deaths than World War II or the Vietnam War. Alleged war crimes include the killing of suspected communists by Seoul and the torture and starvation of prisoners of war by the North Koreans.[citation needed] North Korea became one of the most heavily bombed countries in history.[44] Virtually all of Korea's major cities were destroyed.[45] No peace treaty was ever signed, making this a frozen conflict.[46][47]