Korean War

One of the most brutal conflicts in the wake of WWII saw a country bitterly divided

INVASION OF SOUTH KOREA

Armed and trained by the Soviets, the armies of Kim il-sung storm across the 38th parallel of latitude. Within one day North Korean tanks reach the suburbs of the South Korean capital, Seoul.

INCHON LANDINGS

General Macarthur orders an amphibious invasion of the port city of Inchon while UN forces are besieged in the extreme south east of the peninsula. Two weeks later the pro-american regime of Syngman Rhee is restored in Seoul.

WASHINGTON RESPONDS

President Truman orders US air and sea forces to give support to the forces of Syngman Rhee’s Republic of Korea. The UN Security Council calls on member nations to provide support in repelling the North’s invasion.

NORTHERN PUSH

American forces, having crossed the 38th parallel, occupy the northern capital of Pyongyang. Macarthur orders a drive towards the Yalu River that divides China from Korea. North Korean armies retreat north.

Partitioned in 1948, border clashes between Soviet-backed North Korea and Us-backed South Korea were followed by a Northern invasion of the South, pitching the newly formed United Nations against communist powers

“THE LAST CHINESE TROOPS HEAD NORTH IN 1958, BUT US TROOPS REMAIN IN SOUTH KOREA. THE TWO KOREAS REMAIN AT WAR TODAY”

MACARTHUR IS DISMISSED

In response to his numerous public statements contradicting the administration’s policies regarding war with China and the use of atomic weapons, President harry Truman dismisses Macarthur and replaces him with General Matthew B. Ridgway.

COMMUNIST COUNTER-OFFENSIVES

As Ridgway’s forces hold the line below the parallel, two Chinese offensives fail to reach Seoul. Peace talks begin in the North Korean city of Kaesong in July.

CHINESE INTERVENTION

South Korean troops are decimated by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China at Pukchin. one week later the first American and Chinese clash occurs at Unsan, and there are aerial clashes over the Yalu River.

ARMISTICE BUT NOT PEACE

An armistice signed in the village of Panmunjom allows for prisoner exchanges and the cessation of armed operations. The last Chinese troops head north in 1958, but US troops remain in South Korea. The two Koreas remain at war today.

US Marines use landing craft during the Inchon landings, which relieved pressure on the Pusan Perimeter

An American army train arrives in Seoul, having crossed the recently re-built bridge over the Han River

US naval forces move from their base in Japan to the Korean peninsula

A North Korean plaque from 1950, which was hung on doors. It has phrases such as “Victory is assured!”

Right: General Ridgway and General Macarthur exchange looks

High-ranking US and UN military officers pose for photos during peace negotiations

UN guards outside the building where the armistice was signed on 27 July 1963

Chinese soldiers watch from one of the many bunkers dug during the Korean War