Korean War (jun 25, 1950 – jul 27, 1953)

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The Korean War (1950-1953) was an armed conflict between North Korea and South Korea, with North Korea supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea by the United Nations Command (UNC) led by the United States. The conflict was one of the first major proxy wars of the Cold War and ended in 1953 with an armistice but no peace treaty, leading to the ongoing Korean conflict.

After World War II, Korea was divided into two occupation zones at the 38th parallel, with plans for a future independent state. North Korea was led by Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, while South Korea was led by Syngman Rhee in Seoul. Both claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all Korea and engaged in border clashes as internal unrest was fomented by communist groups in the south.

On 25 June 1950, the Korean People's Army (KPA), equipped and trained by the Soviets, launched an invasion of the south. The UN Security Council recommended member states to repel the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of military personnel.

UN forces captured Seoul on 28 June, and by early August, the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) and its allies were nearly defeated. UN forces broke out from the perimeter on 18 September, re-captured Seoul, and invaded North Korea in October, capturing Pyongyang and advancing towards the Yalu River.

Armistice negotiations began in July 1951, but dragged on as the fighting became a war of attrition and the north suffered heavy damage from U.S. bombing. The Korean Armistice Agreement signed on 27 July 1953 allowed the exchange of prisoners and created a Demilitarized Zone along the frontline.

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