The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
A view of the Korean Peninsula from above at night. Electricity, food, and other basic resources are scarce in North Korea.
Today, South Korea is a free nation with a robust economy, while North Korea is one of the world’s worst totalitarian states and human rights violators. Many Americans don’t know the great price their country paid to keep South Korea from falling under communist rule. The Korean Peninsula’s history would be very different if not for American actions.
After World War II, Korea was divided into two different nations by the United States and the Soviet Union after the defeat of Japan. On June 25, 1950, approximately 75,000 soldiers from the Soviet-backed North invaded the South and the Korean War began. The United States, under President Harry Truman, feared a greater expansion of communism around the world and committed troops to the conflict a month later under the United Nation’s banner.
The American and Allied forces’ initial strategy was to evict the North Koreans back over the 38th parallel or the border between the two countries. However, Truman and American General Douglas MacArthur decided a broader campaign was necessary to liberate the North from communism altogether. The problem with this approach was that it unnerved Communist China, which shared a border with North Korea. In response to American soldiers approaching its border, China sent troops into North Korea to fight against the Americans. Truman did not want a war with China, which would have taken years and countless American lives. It also could have led to a direct confrontation with the Soviet Union, which was likely to intervene on China’s behalf. On the other hand, General MacArthur believed there was “no substitute for victory” and wanted the war to be waged against China and international communism. In the end, Truman used his authority as commander and chief and relieved MacArthur of his duties.
After years of brutal fighting, the two sides signed an armistice on July 27, 1953. The agreement allowed POWs to stay where they liked, a significant point of contention between the two sides; drew a new boundary near the 38th parallel that gave South Korea an extra 1,500 square miles of territory and created a 2-mile-wide “demilitarized zone” that still exists today.
Almost 37,000 Americans were killed and another 100,000 wounded. The war killed almost 5 million people in total, about half of whom were civilians. Although the fighting was stopped, a state of war still exists between North and South Korea today, and approximately 28,500 American soldiers remain deployed in South Korea.
Sometimes referred to as “The Forgotten War” because of its close proximity to the end of World War II and its indecisive resolution, Korea is one of many examples of America going to the defense of other nations worldwide. The Korean War produced approximately 5.7 million veterans, many of whom fought in World War II. It is important that all Americans remember their brave sacrifice in the name of freedom.