Korean War

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces, backed by the Soviet Union and later China, crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. The United States and United Nations quickly intervened to support South Korea. Under General Douglas MacArthur, UN forces launched a successful counterattack at Inchon (Sept 1950), pushing North Korean troops back. However, Chinese forces entered the war in late 1950, leading to a bloody stalemate. Over the next two years, intense fighting and heavy casualties marked the conflict, with neither side achieving decisive victory. Peace talks dragged on while battles continued. On July 27, 1953, an armistice agreement was signed, establishing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel. The war ended without a formal peace treaty, leaving North and South Korea divided to this day. The Korean War was significant as the first major “hot war” of the Cold War era, demonstrating the global stakes of the U.S.–Soviet rivalry and shaping East Asian geopolitics for decades.