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70 years ago, at the end of June 1950, the Korean War began, which became one of the largest military conflicts of all time since the end of World War II. The fighting in Korea lasted more than three years, more than a million people died. The conflict has not been formally resolved to this day - a truce is in force.
Summer 1951. Nobody knows what kind of Korea these children will grow up in and, in general, whether they will live to see the country divided into North and South
Photo: ROGER-VIOLLET VIA AFP
Summer 1951. Nobody knows what kind of Korea these children will grow up in and, in general, whether they will live to see the country divided into North and South
Photo: ROGER-VIOLLET VIA AFP
Fedor Tertitsky
The war period of 1950–1953 is considered to be one of the most researched periods in Korean history, although this “most” is very confusing. Apparently, the events surrounding the Korean War are still too recent by historical standards for us to know all the details about them. It remains to be content with the dotted line. However, he is also quite eloquent.
Beginning of the 20th century. Capture of Korea by Japan
What is the conflict between North and South Korea and where does it originate? It is not easy to answer these questions briefly, because the preconditions that led to the emergence of these two states, aggressive towards each other, were laid more than a hundred years ago.
Back in the 19th century, Korea was an independent state, but it fell into the sphere of interests of various countries, in particular Russia, China and Japan. They opposed each other in the struggle for the right to rule over Korea. The final role in this confrontation was played by the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. As a result, Japan finally established its primacy on the peninsula. Having initially established a protectorate over Korea, by 1910 Japan completely included it within the borders of its state. Thus, conditions were created that in the future resulted in the well-known conflict between South and North Korea, the chronology of which dates back to the middle of the 20th century.
Thus, for 35 years, until the defeat of Japan in World War II, Korea remained its colony. Of course, during this period the Koreans tried to win their independence, but militaristic Japan nipped all such attempts in the bud.
During a conference held in Cairo in 1943, questions were discussed regarding the prospects for military action in the Asia-Pacific region. Regarding the territories captured by Japan, it was decided to subsequently grant Korea independence.
Losses
The war left a huge number of victims on both sides. The total military losses of the South Koreans are estimated at 984.4 thousand (228 thousand killed). According to American data, the North Koreans lost approx. 600 thousand, and the Chinese - approx. 900 thousand. The Chinese estimate their total military losses at 460.6 thousand (including 145 thousand killed).
The total losses of the UN forces amounted to 118.5 thousand killed, 264.5 thousand wounded and 93 thousand prisoners. The Americans suffered the largest losses - 169 thousand (irrecoverable - 54 thousand, including 33.6 thousand killed in battle); this figure is only slightly lower than the number of their losses in the Vietnam War of 1964-1973. The total losses of the remaining coalition members are as follows: Great Britain - 5017 (710 killed), Turkey - 3349 (717), Australia - 1591 (291), Canada - 1396 (309), France - 1135 (288), Thailand - 913 (114), Greece – 715 (169), Netherlands – 704 (111), Colombia – 686 (140), Ethiopia – 656 (120), Philippines – 488 (92), Belgium and Luxembourg – 453 (97), New Zealand – 115 (34 ), South African Republic – 42 (20).
According to various estimates, the losses of the civilian population of Korea are estimated at 3 million. More than 80% of Korean production potential and vehicles were destroyed. The bombings caused enormous damage: for example, UN aviation practically wiped out Pyongyang, which was home to approx. 400 thousand people The result of the conflict was a real humanitarian catastrophe on the peninsula.
Liberation of Korea and division of it into temporary zones
In 1945, the Allied armies landed on the Korean Peninsula, respectively, Soviet troops entered from the north, and American troops from the south. Subsequently, as a result of this, South and North Korea were formed. The history of the conflict begins with an agreement between the USA and the USSR to divide the country into two zones in order to more effectively accept Japan's surrender. The division was carried out along the 38th parallel, and after the final liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese invaders, the Allies began to form transitional governments with the goal of further unifying the northern and southern zones into an integral state under a single leadership.
It is noteworthy that in the southern zone, supervised by the Americans, was the capital of the former Korean state - the city of Seoul. In addition, in the southern part of the peninsula the population density was almost twice as high as in the north of the country, the same applied to agricultural and industrial resources.
Results
The consequences of the war were ambiguous, and can only be assessed from the present. The ceasefire and, in essence, the civil war meant that Korea would henceforth develop in two alternative directions. The results of this development are only now visible: South Korea is a very prosperous state in Southeast Asia after Japan and China; North Korea is a country where people are dying of hunger.
China, after the reforms of Deng Xiaoping, also began to develop essentially according to the capitalist scenario. I think you understand who was right, at least for now. Time will tell whether Korea will be a unified state again. Germany has united, but there are still a lot of problems there, and this is in a country where the treaty is part of the culture. In Korea everything will be much more complicated, in my opinion. What do you think? Write in the comments!
Also, my advice to you: do not confuse this war with the Russo-Japanese War. The map is similar, but the wars are different. In order not to confuse anything, it is better to come to our training courses.
Sincerely, Andrey Puchkov
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The USSR and the USA cannot or do not want to agree
Following this, a new problem emerged - the United States and the Soviet Union could not agree on the procedure for unifying the country. They disagreed on many issues regarding the procedure for the withdrawal of Allied troops from Korea, holding elections, forming a unified government, etc. Attempts to reach an agreement led nowhere for almost two years. In particular, the USSR initially insisted on the withdrawal of the entire contingent of foreign troops from Korean territory, after which it would be possible to begin implementing the remaining points of the plan. America did not agree with this proposal and in the summer of 1947 brought the Korean issue to the UN General Assembly for consideration. Perhaps the essence of the conflict between North and South Korea was originally laid in the confrontation between two superpowers - the USA and the USSR.
But since America enjoyed the support of the majority of UN members, the Korean issue was considered and approved on the terms proposed by the United States. In turn, the USSR opposed it, however, the UN had already decided to create a special commission whose task was to organize and conduct elections in Korea. The USSR and the North Korean authorities controlled by it refused to allow the UN commission to enter the northern part of the peninsula.
Battle of the 38th parallel (April 22 – July 10, 1951)
From late April to early July 1951, the warring parties made a number of attempts to break through the front line and change the situation in their favor. On April 22, Chinese and North Korean troops (350 thousand) attacked the 8th Army in the western direction, again throwing it back beyond the 38th parallel, but at the end of April they were stopped north of Seoul and at Hongchon. On May 15, they launched a strike in the central and eastern directions, but it was not successful either. On May 21, the 8th Army launched a counteroffensive, by the end of May it drove Chinese and North Korean troops back beyond the 38th parallel, but in June it became bogged down in battles for the “Iron Triangle” (a strategically important area between the cities of Chorwon, Pyongan and Kimhwa). True, in mid-June she managed to capture Chorwon, but then military operations acquired a positional character.
Creation of two separate and independent republics
Despite the disagreements, in May 1948, elections were held in the territory supervised by the United States, as a result of which the independent Republic of Korea, otherwise known as South Korea, was formed. The formed government, headed by President Syngman Rhee, is oriented toward the Western world and works closely with the United States.
Following this, elections are also held in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula in August of the same year, and in September the creation of the DPRK, otherwise known as North Korea, is announced. In this case, a pro-communist government was formed, headed by Kim Il Sung. Thus, two states independent from each other were created - South and North Korea. The history of the conflict begins with the war that followed two years later.
After the creation of these two states, the USA and the USSR began to withdraw their troops from their territory. It is worth noting that each of the newly formed governments initially laid claim to the entire territory of the Korean Peninsula and declared itself to be the sole legitimate authority of Korea. Relations became tense, countries accumulated their military potential, the conflict between North and South Korea escalated and gradually turned into a forceful plane. In 1949–1950 Small clashes began to occur along the 38th parallel, which is the border between the newly formed republics, which subsequently turned into a full-scale war.
Polina Solovyova
“We fight in Korea so that we don’t have to fight in Wichita, in Chicago, in New Orleans or in San Francisco Bay.”
G. Truman
The Korean War was an armed conflict between South Korea and North Korea that lasted from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. In fact, the Korean War was a clash between the United States and the communist bloc formed by North Korea, China and the USSR.
Until the end of World War II, Korean territory was in Japanese hands. As a result of the military operations of the Soviet and American armies in the final months of World War II, the territory of Korea was divided into 2 parts along the 38th parallel - North Korea, the zone of Soviet occupation, and South Korea, the zone of American occupation. In December 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States signed an agreement on the temporary administration of the country. Governments were formed in both parts of the country: in North Korea - a communist government led by Kim Il Sung, in South Korea - a pro-American government led by Syngman Rhee. It was assumed that the northern and southern parts of Korea would subsequently be united, but in the context of the beginning of the Cold War and the growing Soviet-American contradictions, the USSR and the USA were unable to reach a single agreement on the details of reunification. And in 1947, the UN assumed responsibility for the future fate of the country. At the same time, the political leaders of both North and South Korea sought the territorial reunification of Korea, each under their own rule.
By 1949, USSR and US troops were completely withdrawn from Korean territory. The political situation in Korea gradually worsened. At the same time, Kim Il Sung repeatedly appealed to the Soviet authorities with a request to provide assistance in organizing an armed attack on South Korea with the aim of unifying the country. But Stalin, fearing the outbreak of a new armed conflict with the United States, refused to send troops to Kim Il Sung, which did not prevent the USSR from continuing to provide assistance to North Korea, which at that time was actively increasing its military potential and forming a combat-ready army. Thus, North Korea's military forces by 1950 were far superior to those of South Korea. Moreover, Stalin gradually began to succumb to Kim Il Sung’s desire to organize an armed offensive, and gave the North Korean leader permission to conduct a military operation. Thus, on June 25, 1950, North Korean military forces invaded the territory of their southern neighbor. Prepared and organized according to the Soviet model, the Korean People's Army initially conducted successful military operations and by August occupied most of the territory of South Korea.
The outbreak of the Korean War was a big surprise for the entire West, including the United States. On January 12, 1950, US Secretary of State Dean Acheson stated that the "defensive borders of the United States" ran through the Aleutian Islands, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands and the Philippines, without mentioning Korea, which indicated that the United States had no serious plans for expansion there its influence. After the North Korean attack, on June 30, 1950, the order was given to send American troops located on the Japanese Islands to Korea. The US government said it would strive to prevent the spread of communism in Asia. Although officially military assistance to South Korea was provided by the UN, which was supposed to control the situation in Korea, in reality the entire military campaign in Korea was led by the United States, in fact regardless of the UN and its members.
North Korea was actively supported by the PRC, which was dissatisfied with US dominance in Taiwan. On June 25, the Security Council convened in New York to discuss the Korean issue. The opinions of UN members were divided: the countries of the socialist bloc opposed US actions towards Korea, while other powers, on the contrary, supported the US side and sent assistance to American troops for the operation in Korea. A key role was played by the absence of a representative of the USSR at the meetings, who boycotted the UN Security Council in protest against the organization’s non-recognition of the PRC.
At first, the actions of the American military units and their allies were not successful, a clear confirmation of which is the successful Daejeon offensive operation and the Naktong operation carried out by North Korea, as a result of which serious forces of the United States, South Korea and their allies were defeated. But by autumn the situation at the front began to change significantly.
The counteroffensive began in mid-September, by which time the size of the Allied army had already reached quite impressive sizes, and a significant amount of military equipment had been received. On September 15, the southern coalition launched Operation Chromite, during which they managed to liberate Seoul. By October, South Korea was generally liberated from North Korean troops, and the US and allied armies went on the offensive towards Pyongyang. The DPRK army suffered defeats, and Pyongyang was captured on October 20. When the armed forces of the DPRK were defeated and the threat of capture by American and South Korean troops loomed over North Korea, the leadership of the USSR and the PRC decided to send the Chinese army to Korea. The PRC declared to the UN that it would take decisive action if American forces crossed the border between North and South Korea, but Truman did not take this statement seriously, believing that the PRC was simply trying to “blackmail the UN.” The USSR limited itself to only sending airborne troops, and Soviet planes were not supposed to fly closer than 100 kilometers to the front line. The United States was aware of the support provided by the Soviet government to North Korea, but in order to avoid the outbreak of a new war and a possible nuclear strike, the American authorities did not take retaliatory action.
The offensive of the 270,000-strong Chinese "volunteer" army began on October 25, led by General Peng Dehuai, who carried out a series of successful attacks. China successfully carried out a number of military operations in November, such as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, in which the Chinese army defeated the US 7th Infantry Division.
On January 4, 1951, the combined armies of North Korea and China launched a counteroffensive, forcing American forces to retreat. At this time, the situation for the United States reached such a critical moment that the military authorities began to seriously think about the use of nuclear weapons. On February 21, 1951, the counter-offensive of UN troops began with a successful operation that made it possible to push Chinese troops behind the Han River. From March to April, intense battles were fought between the opponents, victory in which passed from one side to the other. On April 11, MacArthur was removed from command of the troops by order of Truman, as he advocated escalating the conflict and starting a war directly with the USSR and China, even to the point of using nuclear weapons against them, which Truman could not allow. In May, luck again favored the UN troops, who managed to push back the DPRK army beyond the 38th parallel.
By June 1951 the war had reached its critical point. Despite the large numerical losses, the opposing armies still had significant forces and were ready to continue military operations. It became clear that the war was beyond reasonable limits and further hostilities would bring too heavy damage to the parties. Under these conditions, the opponents first began to think about negotiations, which were launched on July 8, 1951 in Kaesong, but even during the negotiations, hostilities continued. The UN forces advocated the restoration of South Korea to pre-war limits, and the PRC and the DPRK shared a similar position.
D. Eisenhower, elected to the post of President of the United States on November 4, 1952, even during the election campaign declared his intention to end the war in Korea and, before taking office, made a trip to Korea in order to familiarize himself with the situation in detail and determine what could be done to end the war. On March 5, 1953, Stalin died, and the CPSU Central Committee advocated ending the war. Thus, having lost the support of the USSR, China also began to lean toward concluding a peace treaty. The armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. In April 1954, a conference was convened in Geneva to sign a peace treaty, which, however, did not bring any results due to acute contradictions between North Korea and South Korea. To date, an agreement that would formally end this war has not been signed.
The Korean War had a strong impact on the global situation as a whole: Soviet-Chinese relations deteriorated, international tension increased between the two warring blocs, which gradually expanded. The Korean War was the first serious armed conflict of the Cold War, and became a kind of prototype for all subsequent conflicts of the two superpowers, the USA and the USSR, which were in the nature of local wars.
US losses in the Korean War amounted to about 40 thousand people. But the more disastrous consequences were not the quantitative and human losses, but the moral impact that the Korean War had on American politicians. The Korean War showed that the American army was not ready for serious combat. Since that time, the United States began to create a large military potential: the size of the American army was significantly increased, the active construction of additional overseas military bases began, the development of new military equipment, which required enormous expenditures on the part of the state, as a result of which budget expenditures for military needs were significantly increased. Military spending in 1953 was three times higher than military spending in 1950. The Korean War, which at that time the Americans called “Mr. Truman’s War,” seriously hit the country’s economy. Some researchers believe that it was the Cold War that had the strongest negative impact on the state's fiscal policy and laid the foundation for all the economic problems that the US government faces to this day.
The Korean War largely determined the character of American foreign policy in the subsequent years of the Cold War: continued advancement on a global scale, allowing local wars, but the desire to avoid a direct clash with the Soviet Union, placing American military bases on the territory of various powers and continents in order to exert a decisive influence on their allies in military blocs.
The goal pursued by the United States during the Korean War was to combat the spread of communism. Truman said on October 4, 1952: “We are fighting in Korea so that we will not have to fight in Wichita, in Chicago, in New Orleans or in San Francisco Bay.” It was at this time that the idea of a total “communist threat” gained enormous popularity in the United States; it was at this time that the strong imperialist position and policy of the United States was formed, their confidence in the right to intervene in the affairs of other states, which would be one of the fundamental features of US foreign policy even in for many subsequent decades.
Used materials:
- Zubkov L.I., Yakovlev N.N. Recent history of the USA [1917-1968]. M.: “Enlightenment”, 1972;
- Ivanyan E.A. US History: A Guide for Universities. – M.: Bustard, 2004. – 576 p.: ill.;
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/korea_hickey_01.shtml#four;
- https://wordweb.ru/coldwar/135.htm;
- https://interpretive.ru/dictionary/408/word/koreiskaja-voina-1950-1953-gody;
- ru.wikipedia.org›wiki/ Korean _ War ;
- https://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_colier/2858/KOREAN.
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Beginning of the Korean War
By June 25, 1950, the low-intensity conflict between North and South Korea gradually escalated into heavy fighting. The parties mutually blamed each other for the attack, but today it is generally accepted that the DPRK was the aggressor. Just a few days later, it became obvious that the North Korean army was significantly superior to its enemy, because already on the fifth day of the war it managed to occupy Seoul. The United States immediately came to the aid of the South, and also launched a campaign at the UN in which it accused North Korea of aggression, calling on the international community to provide military support to South Korea in order to restore security in the region.
As a result of the inclusion of American units, and after them troops united under the auspices of the UN, in the conflict between North and South Korea, the army of the South managed to contain the enemy’s advance. This was followed by a counter-offensive on North Korean territory, which led to the inclusion of Chinese volunteer forces in the war. The USSR also provided military support to North Korea, so the combat zone soon moved again to the southern part of the peninsula.
Strengths of the parties. Military participation in the military conflict of the USSR, China, the USA and their allies
The Korean War, which was originally planned and conceived as a civil conflict, became a fundamentally new version of armed confrontation. In a relatively small theater of military operations, large military forces of the North and South, military formations and contingents of troops from other countries were involved. Thus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea managed to mobilize almost 300 thousand people into the ranks of the KPA. On the part of the Republic of Korea, twice as many people took part in the hostilities - 590 thousand people. The relatively large number of foreign forces that took direct part in the hostilities does not allow us to call the armed conflict a purely Korean civil war. Thus, the maximum strength of the American army during different periods of the war varied from 300 thousand to half a million people. The largest foreign contingents besides the United States were sent to the Korean front by Great Britain and Canada. The maximum strength of the British and Canadian armies was 63,000 and 36 thousand people, respectively.
MacArthur
In addition to the Americans, British and Canadians, troops from 13 other countries fought under the UN flag on the side of South Korea. Some of them were allies of the United States in the North Atlantic Alliance, the other part were states bound by military treaties with the United States and Great Britain. Over the years, Greek and Turkish soldiers visited the battlefields in Korea. Units from the Union of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands participated in the secondary sectors of the front. The armies of Thailand, the Philippines, Luxembourg, Colombia and Ethiopia were also noted for their participation in the war. Even the Cuban announcer Batista was different - he offered his armed forces to help the Americans.
The North Korean side was supported by the countries of the socialist camp. The Soviet Union formally took part in the hostilities, sending military advisers to the country and supplying the Korean People's Army with weapons. During the war years, the number of Soviet military advisers through the crucible amounted to almost 26 thousand people, of whom the lion's share were anti-aircraft gunners and maintenance personnel of aviation units. However, the USSR's participation in the Korean War was not limited to advisory and military-technical assistance. Beginning in the fall of 1950, the Soviet aviation corps, equipped with new Mig-15 fighters, joined the fight in the air. 536 pilots from the Soviet Union took part in the fighting.
Soviet MIGs
The People's Republic of China is the party to the conflict that has managed to deploy the largest military contingent. In total, almost 800 thousand Chinese soldiers took part in hostilities on the side of North Korea. At first these were volunteers, and later regular formations of the People's Liberation Army of China took part in the battles.
Outcome of the Korean War
After another counter-offensive by the South Korean army and the multinational UN forces allied to it, by July 1951 the combat zone finally moved to the 38th parallel, along which all subsequent clashes continued for two years. It soon became clear that the price of victory for any of the warring parties might be too high, so a truce was concluded on July 27. It is noteworthy that the ceasefire agreement was signed, on the one hand, by the commanders of the DPRK and China, on the other, by the United States under the UN flag. At the same time, the United States still maintains a military presence in South Korea.
Different sources report different figures regarding the losses of the parties that resulted from the conflict between North and South Korea, but it is safe to say that these losses were significant. Also, great damage was caused to both states, since hostilities took place throughout almost the entire territory of the peninsula. The Korean War was essentially an integral part of the Cold War that began in the mid-20th century.
At exactly four o'clock
“The war began at dawn in order to kill more people.” These lines from the famous song are quite applicable to the Korean War, which also began on a Sunday night in June. President Rhee Syngman was completely unprepared for the invasion. As usual, he went fishing over the weekend; it took the South Korean military several hours to find him.
At first, South Korea stated that, in fact, nothing terrible was happening and the attacks of the “communist bandits” would soon be repulsed. Underestimating the enemy cost the South dearly. The KPA was rapidly approaching Seoul, and the evacuation of the capital soon turned into a stampede. Bridges across a river flowing through the city were blown up in a hurry, and during one of these operations, the colonel in charge pressed the detonator button without even checking to see if there were people on the bridge. He killed 800 people and cut off the escape of two South Korean divisions.
It seemed that the hostilities were unfolding in full accordance with the plans of the DPRK, but the mood in the Pyongyang leadership changed when it became clear that the United States, from which the North was not expected to be active, would not stand aside.
Taking advantage of the then Soviet boycott of UN structures, Washington passed the relevant resolutions through the Security Council - the invasion was recognized as aggression, and the United States began bombing North Korea and forming a coalition under the UN flag to fight the aggressor.
Meanwhile, during the capture of Seoul, the North Koreans managed to capture the military plans of the South Korean administration. Documents showed that the militant anti-communist Syngman Rhee was also thinking about attacking the North. Satisfied, Stalin instructed the DPRK to use these documents to compose publications presenting the South as a warmonger. Subsequently, it was on these publications that the entire official discourse of the DPRK about the beginning of the war was based: Pyongyang said that it was started by “American imperialists and their South Korean puppets.”
Meanwhile, the KPA continued to advance south. In the battle for the city of Daejeon, North Korean troops entered into battle with the advanced units of the American army. The battle ended in KPA success and the American commander, General Dean, was captured. But, despite the fact that by August the DPRK already controlled 90 percent of the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang never achieved a quick victory.
Relations between countries in the second half of the 20th century
At the end of the Peninsular War, the conflict between North and South Korea was put into a frozen state. The fraternal countries continued to treat each other with caution and suspicion, and only against the background of establishing contacts between America and China did relations between the North and the South improve somewhat.
In 1972, the countries signed a joint statement, according to which they set a course for unity, based on the principles of peaceful dialogue, independence, and not relying on external forces. However, few people believe in the possibility of a complete merger of states into one whole, because the reason for the conflict between North and South Korea partly lies precisely in the incompatibility of political regimes and principles of government. Thus, the DPRK proposed for consideration the option of creating a confederation according to the formula “one state, one people – two governments and two systems.”
In the early 1990s, new attempts at rapprochement were made. In this regard, the countries adopted a number of new agreements, including the Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-Aggression and Mutual Cooperation, as well as the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, following peace initiatives, the DPRK quite often revealed intentions to acquire nuclear weapons, which has repeatedly caused deep concern on the part of the international community, in particular the United States.
"Ridgway's Counter-Offensive" (January 25 – April 21, 1951)
At the end of January - end of April 1951, Ridgway launched a series of attacks with the goal of recapturing Seoul and pushing the Chinese and North Koreans back beyond the 38th parallel. During Operation Thunderbolt, which began on January 25, 1951, the 8th Army captured Suwon on January 26, and Inchon on February 10. On February 5, the 10th Corps also launched an offensive; True, on February 11–12, as a result of a Chinese counterattack, he was thrown back to Wonju, but a week later he still forced the enemy to retreat to Hengson. On February 21, the 8th Army launched a new attack in the north (Operation Killer) and by February 28 reached the lower reaches of the Han River on the closest approaches to Seoul. On March 7, the Allies launched another offensive (Operation Ripper), occupied Seoul on March 14–15, and by March 31 reached the “Idaho Line” (lower Imjingan - Hongchon - north of Chumunjin) in the area of 38 parallel. On April 2–5, they made a breakthrough in the central direction and by April 9 reached the Hwacheon reservoir (Operation Ragid), and by April 21 they were already on the closest approaches to Chorwon, displacing the PLA and KPA beyond the 38th parallel (with the exception of the extreme western section front).
Even before the completion of the counteroffensive, MacArthur, due to disagreements with Truman regarding the idea of using nuclear weapons in the Korean War against PLA and KPA forces and for mistakes made in November 1950, was removed from his post as commander of the UN forces and replaced by Ridgway (April 11). General D. Van Fleet became the commander of the 8th Army (April 14).
Relations between countries in modern times
In June 2000, the first inter-Korean summit took place, at which further steps towards rapprochement were taken. As a result, on June 15, the heads of the republics signed the Joint Declaration of the North and the South, which in the long term became the fundamental document regarding unification issues that Korean society had been waiting for for almost half a century. This declaration stated the intention of the parties to achieve reunification “with the strength of the Korean nation itself.”
In October 2007, the next inter-Korean meeting was held, which resulted in the signing of new documents that continue and develop the principles laid down in the 2000 Joint Declaration. Nevertheless, the essence of the conflict between North and South Korea is such that over time relations between the countries remain unstable, and are also characterized by periods of ups and downs.
Parties to the conflict
At the end of the 1940s, North Korea was noticeably ahead of South Korea in terms of industrial development, but had half the population. The land reform carried out here with the further introduction of collective labor, the assistance of the USSR in continuing industrialization, made it possible to achieve high rates of economic growth and the standard of living of its citizens.
In addition, the DPRK was able to create quite serious armed forces, forming 10 infantry divisions with a total number of about 180 thousand military personnel. North Korea was armed with Soviet equipment: 242 T-34 tanks, 176 SU-76 self-propelled guns, 210 combat aircraft (Yak-9, Il-10, Il-2). The South Korean army was almost twice as large as the northerners. Of the military equipment, it had only 27 armored vehicles and 22 aircraft. Only in terms of the number of naval units the sides were approximately equal.
Syngman Rhee's rule in South Korea was extremely unpopular and soon turned into a dictatorship. The number of centers of armed resistance was growing in the country, one of the most significant among them was the uprising of the 14th regiment in the city of Yeosu in October 1948, which was suppressed with the help of US troops. At the same time, South Korean military units and police units monthly made dozens of attempts at armed incursions into the territory of the DPRK.
Periodic aggravations of relations
Examples of the worsening situation on the peninsula are often associated with underground nuclear tests carried out in North Korea, as happened in 2006 and 2009. In both cases, such actions by the DPRK provoked protest not only from South Korea - the entire international community opposed activities in the nuclear field, and the UN Security Council adopted several resolutions calling for the resumption of negotiations on the denuclearization of the peninsula.
The conflict between North and South Korea has more than once resulted in armed clashes, which, of course, put the process of rapprochement between the fraternal countries on the brink of breakdown. Thus, on March 25, 2010, not far from the border of the DPRK in the Yellow Sea, a South Korean warship was blown up and sunk, causing the death of 46 sailors. South Korea accused North Korea of destroying the ship, but the North denied any guilt. In November of the same year, a major armed incident occurred on the demarcation line, in which the parties exchanged mutual artillery fire. There were casualties, including some who died.
Among other things, North Korea reacts quite sharply to the American presence in the southern part of the peninsula. The United States and South Korea, longtime allies, periodically conduct military exercises in response to which the North has repeatedly made loud statements threatening to use force and launch missile attacks on American military bases located in the south of the peninsula and in the Pacific Ocean, as well as on the mainland. USA.
Battle of Busan Perimeter (August 4 – September 14, 1950)
At the end of July 1950, the Americans and South Koreans retreated to the southeastern corner of the Korean Peninsula in the area of the port of Busan (Busan Perimeter), organizing defense along the Jinju - Daegu - Pohang line. On August 4, the KPA began an assault on the Pusan Perimeter. By this time, the number of defenders, thanks to significant American reinforcements, had reached 180 thousand, they had 600 tanks at their disposal, and they occupied advantageous positions on the river. Naktong and in the foothills. Nevertheless, the attackers, with much smaller forces (98 thousand and 100 tanks), during the First Battle of Naktong (August 8–18) managed to capture Jinju and come close to the port of Masan. At the same time, American and South Korean troops managed to stop the North Korean offensive west of Daegu on August 15–20 (“Battle of Bowling”). On August 24, 7.5 thousand North Koreans with 25 tanks almost broke through the American defenses near Masan, which was defended by 20 thousand soldiers with 100 tanks. Nevertheless, the American forces were constantly increasing, and from August 29, units from other countries, primarily the British Commonwealth, began to arrive near Busan. On September 1, KPA troops launched a general offensive and on September 5–6, they made a hole in the South Korean defensive lines in the northern section of the perimeter at Yongchon, took Pohang and reached the immediate approaches to Daegu. Only thanks to the stubborn resistance of the American Marines (1st Division) was the offensive stopped by mid-September (Second Battle of Naktong).
Today's realities
In August 2015, the conflict between North and South Korea worsened once again. Briefly speaking, an artillery shot was fired from North Korean territory. The target of this attack, according to reports from Pyongyang, was loudspeakers through which the South carried out propaganda against the North. In turn, Seoul linked these actions to the fact that two servicemen of the Republic of Korea had recently been blown up by a mine allegedly planted by North Korean saboteurs. After the parties exchanged mutual accusations, the DPRK government threatened military action if the South Korean authorities did not come to their senses within 48 hours and stop anti-North Korean propaganda.
There was a lot of noise in the media on this topic; analysts and political scientists made a lot of assumptions regarding the likelihood of a new inter-Korean confrontation, but ultimately the parties were able to come to an agreement and resolve everything peacefully. The question arises: for how long? And what will be the next cause of the conflict between North and South Korea, and what could another escalation lead to?
It is hardly possible today to predict how relations between North and South Korea will develop in the future. Will the people of these countries be able to resolve this, in some sense, internal conflict, not to mention the prospects for uniting the countries into a single state? In the more than half a century since the Korean War, the Korean people have split into two separate nations, each of which has fully formed and now has its own character and mentality. Even if they can forgive each other for all their offenses, it will still not be easy for them to find a common language. Nevertheless, I would like to wish them all one thing - peace and mutual understanding.
A round of peaceful relations
A harbinger of a change in relations between the two states was the visit of Kim Jong-un to Beijing. The purpose of the trip remained unknown, but after it, actions were taken to stabilize the situation at the border. The rhetoric of the DPRK government has changed, there is more talk about cooperation and the resumption of peace negotiations.
In April 2022, South Korean leader Moon Jae-in crossed the demarcation line separating the countries. This short walk ended with a handshake with Kim Jong-un.
A landmark event was the meeting of the two leaders in Pyongyang in September 2022. Its result was the signing of an agreement in the military sphere. The economic aspects of cooperation and the stages of unification of countries were discussed.
South Korea's desire to resume cooperation with its northern neighbor is influenced by the United States. If the White House's sphere of interest involves Pyongyang, the South Korean government's rhetoric could quickly change.
Features of the preparation of Pyongyang's military operation
At the end of May 1950, Pyongyang completed the formation of strategic plans to defeat the South Korean armed forces. It was assumed that the North Korean army would be able to do this in 50 days. The command was counting on a sudden, quick strike with the help of two strike groups against Seoul and Chunchon.
In the USSR, J.V. Stalin made a decision to recall most of the Soviet advisers who were assigned to the military formations of the North Korean armed forces. This confirmed the lack of desire of the Soviet Union to get involved in an armed conflict.
