Korean War

The Korean War was a 1950–1953 conflict on the Korean Peninsula between North and South Korea, involving United Nations forces led by the United States and Chinese forces. It ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

North Korean invasion of South Korea: North Korea’s June 1950 attack across the 38th parallel that began the Korean War. The invasion began the war and rapidly pushed South Korean and allied forces south.
Korea under Japanese rule: The period from 1910 to 1945 when the Korean Peninsula was governed as part of the Japanese Empire. Japanese colonial rule ended with Japan’s defeat, leaving Korea to be divided among occupying powers.
Kim Il Sung: The founding leader of North Korea, who ruled from its establishment in 1948 until 1994. He led North Korea during the invasion and sought Soviet and Chinese support for unification by force.
Korean Demilitarized Zone: A buffer zone established by the 1953 armistice between North and South Korea. It follows the ceasefire line and remains the heavily guarded boundary between the two states.
Vietnam War: A prolonged conflict in Vietnam involving North and South Vietnam and major foreign intervention, ending in 1975. Like Korea, Vietnam became a Cold War conflict between rival states, but ended with reunification under one government.
Battle of Inchon: A September 1950 amphibious landing by United Nations forces at Inchon, South Korea. The landing reversed the early North Korean advance and enabled the recapture of Seoul.
Division of Korea: The post-1945 separation of the Korean Peninsula into Soviet- and American-administered zones. The occupation-zone boundary hardened into rival states before the war began.
Syngman Rhee: The first president of South Korea, serving from 1948 to 1960. His government fought to preserve South Korea and resisted a settlement that left the peninsula divided.
Korean reunification: The proposed political unification of North Korea and South Korea into one state. The armistice left reunification unresolved, making it a continuing political question.
Chinese Civil War: The conflict between Chinese Nationalist and Communist forces that ended with the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949. Its outcome preceded the Korean War and shaped China’s intervention, but it ended with a different territorial settlement.

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