The Korean War

Debbie Whitlock

DRMS2010

Korea •Had been a Japanese colony since 1910•End of WWII – Japan loses colonies•Korea now wanted its independence …

▫but communist or republic?

Solution?

Divide!At the 38th parallel … Dean Rusk helped devise this plan.

Soviet Russia occupied the northDPRK – Democratic People’s Republic of Koreaaka … North Korea

US occupied the south

ROK – Republic of Korea

aka … South Korea

However, N. wanted to control ALL of Korea and have only ONE

communist nationLots of skirmishes at the

38th parallel between the two

June 1950 – N. invades S. Beginning of Korean War

China – in order to “defend their territories” –

launched its armies in Nov. Eventually fighting …

S. Korea, US, and allies v. N. Korea, USSR, and

China

Eventually armies ended up back at 38th parallel where fighting remained for the next 2 yearsJuly 1953 –

finally, an armistice agreed upon …

but a treaty was never signed

A Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) established

UN commission set up to supervise the armistice UNTIL a peace treaty was signed … but that peace treaty never came

The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is an area that separates North and South Korea It’s purpose is to be the

boundary that splits the two countries

Approximately 155 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. Because of its size and the

constant tension between the two countries, it is considered the most heavily militarized border in the world.

The DMZ

Patrolling the DMZ

Guard stations along the DMZ

North Korean side

South Korean side

The dividing line – where the

sand meets the gravel

“The DMZ is probably the most fortified border on Earth, with more than a million soldiers facing each other with enough artillery to obliterate each other in a matter of hours. Tension constantly runs high here -- The DMZ is dotted with land mines and razor wire and concrete tank bunkers and Communist soldiers dug into mountainsides behind cast-iron "blast doors" to protect them against bombs dropped from American B-52s.” … The Washington Post Company 1998

DMZ line not only

line drawn!

The NLL line was drawn as

well!

Northern Limit Line

Maritime border in the Yellow SeaThe NLL

•NLL – Northern Limit Line •UN “draws” line to

indicate limit of range of S. Korean vessels▫Line respected by US and

S. Korea▫NOT by N. Korea – N.

Korea has always disputed line – drawing a very different line of its own

Maritime border in the Yellow Sea•Importance of this line ▫Economics ▫Military strategy

Maritime border in the Yellow Sea•Importance of this line

▫Economics site of rich crab fishing grounds – N. Korea, S.

Korea, and China all wanting its share of the catch

Sanction-struck N. Korea, marine product exports are one of its last few sources of money

Take 5 … what is a sanction?

Sanction •Restrictions imposed on trade with a

country with the aim of persuading that country's government to make an important policy change.

•Sanctions can include a trade embargo - the banning of all commercial shipments in and out of a particular country.

Maritime border in the Yellow Sea

•Importance of this line ▫Military strategy

S. Korea gained 5 islands that lie just off N. Korean coastline

Provide S. Korea a spot to spy on N. Korea

Today – heavily occupied by S. Korean marines

Therefore, could prove to be staging base for amphibious attacks on N. Korea

Constant skirmishes between the 2 ever since the armistice signed in 1953!

• For example … ▫Bombed S. Korea’s cabinet in Rangoon – 1983▫S. Korean airliner in 1987▫1999 – fired on gunboat in NLL▫2002 – naval gunfight broke out along the NLL

– precisely timed to coincide with football match between S. Korea and Japan World Cup (on S. Korean ground)

▫Attacks again in 2004 and 2009▫March 2010 – N. Korean torpedo attacked S.

Korean corvette ▫Nov. 2010 – N. Korea attacks a S. Korean

village

Kim Jung Un

North Korea today … • Kim Jung Un –

current dictator• testing long-range

missiles – all have been unsuccessful!

• Conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009, and 2013.

• Possible evidence that they may have started nuclear testing again!

Back to the war … In closing … because the Korean War only lasted three years (1950 - 1953) it is not thought of as significant, and often not even mentioned.

Korean War Memorial

However, if one compares the statistics of the Korean War (54,246) to those of Vietnam

(58,226) which lasted over sixteen years, by ratio the Korean War was far more devastating

than the Vietnam War.

Korean War Memorial

Results of Korean War … Nothing gained … many died!

•North and South Korea still divided. •North Korea still communist.•South Korea still a republic.•Still the two are bitter enemies.

•However … the US did stop the advancement of communism … well, in South Korea anyway! Vietnam is another story for another day!

Words, people, and places to know …

•Sanction •DMZ•38th parallel•Yellow Sea

Words, people, and places to know …

•Sanction - Restrictions imposed on trade with a country with the aim of persuading that country's government to make an important policy change.

•DMZ – demilitarization zone … a buffer between North and South Korea

•38th parallel – line of latitude where North and South Korea divided

•Yellow Sea – body of water that lies between China and the Korean Peninsula

The Korean WarBackground History• _______ colony since 1910• Japan loses colonies after

_________• Independence for Korea …BUT

one problem … what type of government?• _______________________• OR • _______________________

• Solution?• _______________• At ______ parallel• North Korea

• Official name ___________________

• Occupied by ___________________

• South Korea• Official name

___________________• Occupied by

___________________

Now we have a problem … • __________ wanted all of Korean

Peninsula as 1 ____________ country!• Therefore … June _______ invades

__________ Korea• Thus begins the Korean War

The War • _________ joins South Korea• __________ joins North Korea • Fighting consisted of …

• South Korea & ________ v.

• North Korea, _________, & __________

• Fighting ends up back at the ___________ parallel

• Continues for _______ more years

The Fighting Stops • Armistice (cease fire)

• July ______________• _________ established• Peace treaty ___________ signed

The Korean WarDMZ• Separates __________ & __________

Korea• Purpose - __________ b/t the 2• _____ miles long & ______ miles

wide• Constant tension – therefore …

most heavily militarized border in the world today!

NLL • Northern Limit __________• Through the ____________• Importance of line

• Economics• ____ fishing• Last resource for

_________ for N. Korea• Military strategy

• ________ Korea spies on the North

Results of Korean War• __________ gained!• North & South still ____________• North still ___________________• South still ___________________• Both still bitter enemies!

Words to know … • Sanction

• DMZ

• 38th parallel

• Yellow Sea