(Word Version)   June 2000 The Korean War In Brief On June 25, 1950, the North Korea Army — organized, equipped and abetted by the Soviet Union — lunged across the 38th Parallel to subdue its countrymen to the south. This flagrant action impelled President Harry Truman to commit U.S. armed forces — unprepared as they were — to the defense of South Korea. The United Nations Security Council simultaneously called upon member states to do likewise. Twenty other nations would heed the call, 15 sending combat troops, five providing medical support. For the first time in its history, the UN authorized establishment of a multi-national force, flying the UN banner, to repel communist aggression, and requested the United States to provide a commander for the force. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was appointed Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command. The North Korean offensive drove the defenders to the southeast corner of the peninsula. There, the Pusan perimeter was established and, reinforced by U.S. armed forces divisions, held in bitter battle after bitter battle. The stout defense made possible a brilliantly conceived amphibious landing at Inchon, which enveloped the over-extended North Korean Army and recaptured the capital city of Seoul. UN forces advanced north to compel capitulation of the aggressor and set the stage for the long-delayed reunification of the Korean people. Sadly, these laudable aims would be denied. Massive intervention of the Chinese Communist Forces in November 1950 profoundly altered the nature of the war. Savaged by vastly superior numbers and ill-equipped for combat in sub-zero weather, UN forces retreated to a line well south of Seoul, regrouped and, by March 1951, had fought back to the 38th Parallel. In April and May, Chinese launched successive major offenses to drive UN forces from the peninsula. The offensive was repelled at staggering cost to the Chinese. With the battle line again astride the pre-invasion boundary -- proof that aggression had failed -- negotiations were initiated to terminate armed hostilities. Opposing forces remained locked in combat, at great loss of lives, for the next two years while the Military Armistice Agreement, effective July 27, 1953, was forged. President Eisenhower declared, "We have won an armistice on a single battleground, not peace in the world," capturing the sense that the Korean War was the beginning of a longer Cold War that would be waged again. In the absence of a political settlement, the agreement still regulates the de facto boundary between two Koreas. The war’s consequences extended well beyond Korea and were measured by dramatic changes to the shape of post-World War II national security policy: I America would not be caught "off-guard" again and would maintain multi-service forces of requisite power to deter Soviet aggression at all levels. I NATO political and military components were strengthened greatly, making it the principal instrument for maintaining the security and confidence of Western Europe. I Collective security arrangements were forged by bilateral and multi-lateral treaties with the free nations of Asia. Buttressed by substantial U.S. presence and aid, the treaties ensured the stability and forward progress of the entire Pacific Rim. I The resultant strategic posture, coupled with national resolve, contained the Soviet empire for decades and planted the seeds of its demise. When the guns fell silent over the war-torn Korean peninsula, the final tally evidenced cost beyond measure in life, limb and material treasure. Many questioned the value of U.S. involvement. The best answer came more than four decades later in Seoul Korea, in 1988, when an independent, economically prosperous nation of 44 million stood free to host the "greatest ever" Olympiad. And later, another answer would come with the dismantling of the Soviet Union and its plan for world-wide communism — proof that the three-year war was truly a portent of greater victories to come, for Korea and the world. ### This page has been accessed times since June 1, 2000. VA Home Page / Search / Site Map / Facilities Locator Privacy & Security Statement / Disclaimer / FOIA / Contact the VA If you have specific questions on benefits, etc., please go to VA's Consumer Page. Please send your technical comments on this page to VA Office of Public Affairs.