KOREAN WAR IB GLOBAL POLITICS

1.Temporary Division a. Japanese troops in Korea above the 38th parallel surrendered to Soviet Allied troops and to western Allied troops below the 38th parallel. b. 1 Oct 46 - The US announced its intention to stay in Korea until it was united and free. c. 17 Sept 47 - the question of Korean independence was referred to the UN which planned free elections in the spring of Permanent Division a. 10 May The UN Temporary Commission on Korea was prevented from entering North Korea by the USSR, but elections were held in South Korea. (1) Syngman Rhee was elected as the first president. (2) 15 Aug - Republic of Korea was organized under the UN flag with a capital at Seoul, South Korea, but it was not recognized by the North. (3) 9 Sept - People's Democratic Republic of Korea proclaimed jurisdiction over all of Korea, with Kim II Sung as leader. b. 10 Dec - The Republic of Korea or South Korea, signed an economic assistance agreement with the US but on 12 Jan 49 Secretary of State Dean Acheson omitted Korea from the Pacific Defense Perimeter of the US, suggesting that military security of the Republic of Korea was the commitment of the entire civilized world under the UN charter. c. 19 April The USSR blocked South Korea's admission into the UN d. By 29 June, the US had withdrawn all remaining troops except for 500 advisors.

UN/US RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN AGGRESION a.Sept the UN reported that the differences between North and South Korea had not been resolved and the possibility of civil war remained great. b.b. 25 June North Korean communist forces using Soviet weapons and tanks invaded South Korea. (1) 26 June - Truman authorized the US Navy and Air Force to aid South Korea, begin a naval blockade of North Korea, give additional aid to Indochina and move the 7th Fleet to prevent any attack on Formosa. (2) 28 June - Seoul fell to North Korean forces, but within two days, US ground troops were ordered into the fighting and authorized to conduct missions above the 38th parallel. (3) 8 July - Gen Douglas MacArthur, designated commander of UN forces, led forces from ten nations, including one division from the British Commonwealth. Although officially a UN policing action, the bulk of the fighting forces and support were American, who by mid-Aug, had 65,000 troops in Korea.

General Mac Arthur is at the right front. General Ridgeway is in the center, third from the left.

CHINESE INTERVENTION 200,000 Chinese "volunteers" crossed the Yalu River in a Red counter-offensive The North Korean capital of Pyong yang was abandoned by UN forces slowly being pushed out of North Korea resulting in a stalemate. End of the Korean Conflict a. 10 July armistice negotiations at Kaesang continued two years without progress. b. In the US presidential election of 1952, Eisenhower promised to go to the peace talks personally, if elected, to get then moving again. (1) 2-5 Dec 52 - Eisenhower visited the peace talks as promised. (2) It is unclear if his actions aided the end of the war because the talks continued for six months before an armistice was finished (a) Eisenhower had threatened to use nuclear weapons. (b) 5 March More than likely, Stalin's death left North Korea uncertain about future Soviet backing (c) A breakthrough at the peace talks occurred three weeks later. 27 July An armistice was signed by the UN, communist China and North Korea which established a de-militarized zone along the 38th parallel DMZ 19 Jan the US approved a US-SK mutual defense treaty. Korean Conflict again reinforced within the US State Department that "containment" was the correct response to Soviet-backed Communist aggression.

38th parallel dividing North and South Korea at the JSA (Joint Security Area) Panmunjom

38th Parallel

DMZ

Cost of the War US casualties included 33,629 dead from battle and 21,617 from other causes, 103,492 wounded and 7,955 MIA s The Koreans and Chinese suffered over 1 million casualties.