The 1950-1953 war between North and South Korea
After the division of Korea, the political confusion between North Korea and South Korea was the most prominent example of the Korean War. The Korean War is also seen as an opportunity to spread the tense military situation in Europe to Asia due to the involvement of the Soviet Union, China and America in this crisis.
Background of the crisis
Korean nationalism begins with the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910. The leaders of the Korean War of Independence began to turn to America after 1919. However, the Korean crisis became an important issue for America after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The Cairo Declaration presented by America in December 1943 emphasized that Korea should be a free country. However, in February 1945, at the Yalta Conference attended by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, it was decided to divide Korea into two along the 38th parallel. Accordingly, it was agreed that the northern part of Korea would be controlled by Soviet Russia and the southern part by the United States. At the Moscow Conference in February 1945, Britain, America and the Soviet Union decided to establish a joint Soviet-American commission for Korea. This commission failed due to ideological differences between the two sides, and in September 1947, the United States took the Korean issue to the United Nations.
Accordingly, a resolution accepted by the General Assembly was that elections should be held to establish a National Assembly under the supervision of a United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea, and that all troops stationed there should immediately withdraw. However, these proposals of the United Nations were not supported by Soviet Russia. On May 10, 1948, elections were held in South Korea under the supervision of the United Nations Provisional Commission, and Syngman Rhee was elected as the first president of the Republic of Korea. Subsequently, the Soviet Union and the United States withdrew their forces from Korea. However, from 1948 to 1950, North-South relations further deteriorated. In 1949, South Korea complained of continued border attacks and asked for American military aid.
Invasion of North Korea
Against this backdrop, on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces launched a planned war against South Korea. North Korean troops marched along the 38th parallel with Soviet-made tanks. In 4 days they captured Seoul, the capital of South Korea. American President Truman sent the troops held in Japan at that time to South Korea, but the invasion could not be stopped. The President then asked the members of the United Nations to come forward to support South Korea. As a result, 15 other nations joined the United States to repel the invaders. The United Nations forces organized in this way were led by Douglas MacArthur, an American general. At this time, American military, air and naval forces were stationed in South Korea, and with the arrival of United Nations forces from Britain, France, Canada, Australia and other countries, counterattacks began. At this time, the American and Korean forces were trapped in a small area in the port of Pusan, located in the northeast of South Korea. On September 15, UN forces landed at Inchon and destroyed the North Korean forces in the south. By the end of September, the UN forces were able to drive North Korean forces above the 38th parallel.
The next issue was whether to capture North Korea and implement an operation to unify the entire country. Accordingly, on October 7, 1950, the United Nations decided to cross the 38th parallel and unify Korea. But, MacArthur's idea was to unify Korea and carry out the operation as far as China by leading troops up to the Yalu River. MacArthur was instructed to lead troops up to the Yalu River but withdraw immediately if Chinese or Soviet influence appeared. Accordingly, on October 19, UN forces captured the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. However, when those troops reached the Yalu River on the Chinese border, a new conflict arose between the two sides.
On November 26, 1950, the Chinese army launched a large-scale offensive. By December, the Chinese army had liberated North Korea and captured Seoul. But by January 1951, American forces had pushed back the Chinese forces and gradually pushed the North Korean forces beyond the 38th parallel and stabilized the South Korean situation near the border. Meanwhile, a three-member committee appointed by the General Assembly recommended a ceasefire and the withdrawal of each other's troops, but China rejected those proposals. Under this situation, a resolution presented to the General Assembly in February 1951 referred to China as the "Korean aggressor".
Ceasefire negotiations
Negotiations between American and North Korean representatives for a cease-fire began on July 10, 1951, but due to failure, they met again on October 25. Negotiations between these parties dragged on for another two years.
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