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An Overview of the Korean War

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  1. North Korea's invasion of the South (June 25, 1950)

    In the early morning of June 25, 1950, North Korean forces, spearheaded by Soviet-supplied tanks, launched a surprise invasion of the South all along the 38th parallel. Seoul fell just three days later, on June 28, and South Korean and UN forces continued to be pushed southward.

  2. The Nakdong River defense line

    From August 1950, UN forces, centered on South Korean and American troops, made a final stand along the Nakdong River in the Gyeongsang provinces, halting the North Korean advance. Holding this defense line proved decisive in securing time to prepare for a subsequent counteroffensive.

  3. The Incheon Landing (September 15, 1950)

    Under the command of UN forces commander MacArthur, the Incheon Landing was carried out on September 15, 1950, cutting off North Korean supply lines and instantly reversing the course of the war. South Korean and UN forces soon recaptured Seoul and continued their push north, occupying Pyongyang in October and advancing all the way to the vicinity of the Yalu River.

  4. Chinese intervention and the Third Retreat from Seoul

    As UN forces advanced to the Yalu River, the People's Republic of China, feeling threatened, dispatched a massive force of Chinese People's Volunteers to enter the war in October 1950. Pushed back by the Chinese forces' massive offensive, UN forces gave up Seoul once again and retreated β€” this is known as the "Third Retreat from Seoul" (or 1.4 Retreat), named for Seoul falling again on January 4, 1951.

  5. The frontline stalemate and armistice negotiations

    From mid-1951 onward, the front line became largely fixed near the 38th parallel without major progress, though fierce fighting, including battles for control of hills, continued throughout this period. Armistice negotiations, which began in Kaesong in July 1951, continued for more than two years over issues such as establishing the military demarcation line and the exchange of prisoners of war.

  6. The signing of the armistice agreement (1953) and the fixed division of the peninsula

    On July 27, 1953, an armistice agreement was signed among UN forces, North Korean forces, and the Chinese People's Volunteers, halting a war that had lasted more than three years; however, the South Korean government did not sign the agreement, opposing signing an armistice without unification. The armistice agreement is not a peace treaty but a "ceasefire" state, and the division of the Korean Peninsula continues to this day.

A tragedy of internecine conflict β€” three years of war

The Korean War, which lasted from June 25, 1950 to July 1953, is the greatest tragedy of modern Korean history, leaving behind millions of casualties and separated families. The war expanded into an international conflict, drawing in UN forces and the Chinese People's Volunteers, and as a result, the division of the Korean Peninsula became fixed and continues to this day.

China's entry into the war, which changed its course

The People's Republic of China, feeling threatened by the UN forces' northward advance, dispatched a massive force that reversed the course of the war β€” and the leader of China at the time was Mao Zedong. You can learn about the upheaval China experienced later under Mao Zedong's rule in our overview of China's Cultural Revolution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it said that the Korean War hasn't fully ended yet?

Because what was signed in 1953 was not a peace treaty but an armistice (ceasefire) agreement. North and South Korea remain legally in a state where the war has merely been paused, and the question of replacing the armistice agreement with a peace treaty remains an unresolved issue to this day.

Which countries took part as UN forces?

Centered on the United States, numerous UN member states, including Britain, Turkey, Canada, and Australia, participated through combat troops or medical support β€” this was the first time the UN decided to intervene militarily under the principle of collective security since its founding.