Korean War

The Korean War was an escalation of border clashes between two rival Korean regimes, each of which was supported by external powers, with each trying to topple the other through political and conventional tactics. In a very narrow sense, some may refer to it as a civil war, though many other factors were at play.[17] After failing to strengthen their cause in the free elections held in South Korea during May 1950[18] and the refusal of South Korea to hold new elections per North Korean demands, the communist North Korean Army assaulted the South on June 25, 1950. The conflict was then expanded by the United States and the Soviet Union's involvement as part of the larger Cold War. The main hostilities were during the period from June 25, 1950 until the armistice (ceasefire agreement) was signed on July 27, 1953.

In South Korea, the war is often called 6Ð'*25 or 6Ð'*25 War (Korean: 6Ð'*25 м „мџЃ), from the date of the start of the conflict or, more formally, Hanguk Jeonjaeng (Korean: н*њкµ­Ð¼ „мџЃ; Hanja: йџ"ењ‹Ð¶?oÐ*?­, literally "Korean War"). In North Korea, while commonly known as the Korean War, it is formally called the Jogug Gaebang Jeonjaeng or Fatherland Liberation War (Korean: мЎoкµ­Ð½*Ò'лo©Ð¼ „мџЃ; Hanja: Ð*Ґ-ењ‹Ð¸§ÐˆÐ¶"Ñ*ж?oÐ*?­). In the United States, the conflict was officially termed a police action вЂ" the Korean Conflict вЂ" rather than a war, largely in order to avoid the necessity of a declaration of war by the U.S. Congress. The war is sometimes called The Forgotten War or The Unknown War because it is a major conflict of the 20th century that gets far less attention than World War II, which preceded it, and the Vietnam War, which succeeded it.[19] Ironically, the war was a unique combination of the techniques utilized in both WW1 and WW2, beginning with swift, fast paced infantry advances following well choreographed bombing raids from the air. However, following both sides' failures at holding the land captured, battles quickly evolved into WW1-styled trench warfare in January 1951, lasting until the essential border stalemate at the end. In China, the conflict was known as the War to Resist America and Aid Korea (жЉ--Ð*Ñ*ЋжЏÒ'жњќ), but is today commonly called the "Korean War" (жњќй®® ж?oÐ*?­ Chaoxian Zhanzheng,[20] йџ"ењ‹Ð¶?oÐ*?­ Hanguo Zhanzheng, or simply йџ"ж?o Hanzhan).

Korea had been a unified country since the 7th century. During the 19th century imperialist nations threatened Korea's long standing sovereignty. After defeating China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, the Japanese forces remained in Korea, occupying strategically important parts of the country. Ten years later, they defeated the Russian navy in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), contributing to Japan's emergence as an imperial power.[21] The Japanese continued to occupy the peninsula against the wishes of the Korean government and people, expanded their control over local institutions through force, and finally annexed Korea in August 1910.[22]

At the close of World War II, forces of both the Soviet Union and the United States occupied the Korean peninsula in accordance with an agreement put forth by the United States government. The Soviet forces entered the Korean peninsula on August 10, 1945, followed a few weeks later by the American forces who entered through Incheon. U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John R. Hodge formally accepted the surrender of Japanese forces south of the 38th Parallel on September 9, 1945 at the Government House in Seoul.[23]

Many Korean people had organized politically prior to the arrival of American troops.

The eventual division of Korea was considered at the Potsdam Conference,[23] boundaries weren't discussed and the wishes of the Korean people to be free of foreign interference were not considered, though Churchill, Chiang and Roosevelt had stated a determination for Korean independence and freedom at the Cairo Conference. During the earlier Yalta Conference in February 1945, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin called for “buffer zones” in both Asia and Europe.[25] Stalin believed that Russia should have preeminence in China, and in return he would enter into the war against Japan “three months after the surrender of Germany.”[25] On August 6, 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on the Japanese Empire and, on August 8, began an attack on the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. As agreed with the United States, the USSR halted its troops at the 38th parallel on August 26. However, on September 3 Lt. Gen. John R. Hodge, commander of XXIV Corps and designated U.S. Commander in Korea, received a radio message from Lt. Gen. Yoshio Kozuki, commander of the Japanese 17th Area Army in Korea, reporting that Soviet forces had advanced south of the 38th Parallel only in the Kaesong area.[23] U.S. troops arrived in the southern part of the peninsula in early September 1945.

On August 10, 1945, with the Japanese surrender imminent, the American government was unsure whether the Soviets would adhere to the proposal arranged by the U.S. government. A month earlier, Colonels Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel, after deciding that at least two major ports should be included in the U.S. zone, had drawn the dividing line at the 38th parallel in less than one-half an hour using a National Geographic map for reference.[23][26][27][28] Rusk, later U.S. Secretary of State, commented that the American military was “faced with the scarcity of U.S. forces immediately available and time and space factors which would make it difficult to reach very far north before Soviet troops could enter the area.”[25]

The USSR agreed to the 38th Parallel being the demarcation between occupation zones in the Korean peninsula, partly to better their position in the negotiations with the Allies over eastern Europe. It was agreed that the USSR would receive surrendering Japanese troops on the northern part of Korea; the U.S., on the southern side. The Soviet forces entered and liberated the northern part of the peninsula weeks prior to the entry of American forces. In accordance with the arrangements made with the American government, the Soviet forces halted their advance at the 38th parallel.

The American forces arrived in Korea in early September. One of Hodge's first directives was to restore many Japanese colonial administrators and collaborators to their previous positions of power within Korea. This policy was understandably very unpopular among Koreans