# Canonical recap data for Korean War Begins (1950)
# Source: https://recap.at/1950/korean-war
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: korean-war
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1950/korean-war"
title: Korean War Begins
aliases:
- Korean War
- Korea Conflict
- Korean Police Action
- 6.25 War
subtitle: North Korea's invasion of the South triggered the first Cold War proxy conflict and divided the peninsula for over 70 years.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1950-06-25
datePrecision: day
year: 1950
decade: 1950
country:
name: South Korea
slug: south-korea
summaryShort: The Korean War was an armed conflict fought on the Korean Peninsula between North Korea and South Korea and their allies. North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union, while South Korea was supported by the United Nations led by the United States under the auspices of the United Nations Command (UNC). The co
summaryLong: The Korean War was an armed conflict fought on the Korean Peninsula between North Korea and South Korea and their allies. North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union, while South Korea was supported by the United Nations led by the United States under the auspices of the United Nations Command (UNC). The conflict was one of the first major proxy wars of the Cold War and one of its deadliest conflicts on noncombatants, as it is estimated that 1.5 to 3 million civilians were killed during the war. The war was the first time the United Nations Security Council authorized the use of force under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
lede: On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, triggering a three-year war that killed millions and divided the peninsula into two separate states. The conflict pitted communist forces backed by the Soviet Union and China against South Korea and a United Nations-led force dominated by the United States, establishing a military stalemate that persists today.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Chosin.jpg/1280px-Chosin.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Korean War"
importance: 82
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Invasion date
  value: June 25, 1950
- label: North Korean forces at invasion
  value: approximately 90,000 troops
- label: UN authorized involvement
  value: June 27, 1950
- label: U.S. Commander
  value: General Douglas MacArthur
- label: Armistice signed
  value: July 27, 1953
- label: War deaths (estimated)
  value: 2–3 million combatants and civilians
- label: Final demarcation line
  value: near original 38th parallel
- label: UN Security Council voting
  value: Soviet Union absent, allowing authorization
timeline:
- date: 1950-06-25
  title: North Korea invades South Korea
  description: North Korean forces cross the 38th parallel in a coordinated military offensive, capturing Seoul within days and pushing South Korean forces south.
- date: 1950-06-27
  title: UN Security Council authorizes military intervention
  description: With the Soviet Union absent from the council, the U.S. secures authorization for UN-led military action. President Truman orders American forces to support South Korea.
- date: 1950-07-08
  title: General MacArthur assumes command of UNC
  description: General Douglas MacArthur is appointed commander of the United Nations Command, consolidating American and allied forces under a single authority.
- date: 1950-09-15
  title: Inchon Landing
  description: MacArthur executes an amphibious landing behind North Korean lines at Inchon, rapidly reversing the military situation and forcing North Korean forces northward.
- date: 1950-10-19
  title: UN forces enter North Korea
  description: UN and South Korean troops cross the 38th parallel and push toward the Yalu River, approaching the Chinese border.
- date: 1950-10-25
  title: Chinese forces enter the war
  description: Chinese troops begin crossing the Yalu River in large numbers, warning that they would intervene if UN forces threatened Manchuria.
- date: 1950-12-04
  title: Retreat from the Yalu
  description: UN forces, outnumbered by Chinese troops, begin a major retreat southward. The war becomes a grinding stalemate.
- date: 1951-04-11
  title: Truman fires MacArthur
  description: President Truman dismisses MacArthur over strategic disagreements, replacing him with General Matthew Ridgway.
- date: 1951-07-10
  title: Armistice negotiations begin
  description: Ceasefire talks commence at Kaesong, though fighting continues for two more years.
- date: 1953-07-27
  title: Korean Armistice Agreement signed
  description: North and South Korea, along with their allies, sign an armistice near Panmunjom. No formal peace treaty is signed; technically, the war never ends.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War"
  title: Korean War
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Korean War hardened Cold War divisions, established the U.S. security commitment to Asia, and left the Korean Peninsula split along the 38th parallel for seven decades. It introduced large-scale conventional warfare between communist and capitalist powers and demonstrated that the superpowers would risk direct confrontation over regional proxy conflicts.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
- occupation
- arms_race
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- collapse
- transformation
- governance
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: North Korea invades South Korea on June 25, 1950, triggering a three-year war and permanent division of the peninsula.
wikidataQid: Q8663
peoplesVoice:
- source: President Harry S. Truman, US President
  voiceType: official
  context: Truman addressed the nation on June 27, 1950, three days after North Korea's invasion, committing US forces to defend South Korea under UN auspices.
  excerpt: The attack upon Korea makes it plain beyond all doubt that communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations and will now use armed invasion and war.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 90
  attribution: Presidential radio address to the American people, June 27, 1950
  publishedAt: 1950-06-27
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Secretary of State Dean Acheson, US State Department
  voiceType: official
  context: Acheson justified the immediate US military response as essential to containing Soviet-backed communist expansion in Asia.
  excerpt: If we let Korea down, the Soviets will keep expanding. If we stand firm, we demonstrate that aggression does not pay.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - State Department briefings, June-July 1950
  publishedAt: 1950-06-28
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Walter Cronkite, CBS News Correspondent
  voiceType: media
  context: Cronkite reported from the frontlines in Korea as the conflict escalated, capturing the shock and urgency of the unfolding military situation.
  excerpt: American soldiers are arriving in Korea to a war that erupted without warning. This is a test of whether the free world will resist communist expansion.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 70
  attribution: CBS Evening News reports, July 1950
  publishedAt: 1950-07-05
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Clement Attlee, British Prime Minister
  voiceType: official
  context: Attlee expressed cautious support for UN intervention while privately worrying about the risk of wider war with the Soviet Union.
  excerpt: Britain will stand with the United Nations in this matter. We cannot permit naked aggression to succeed, but we must act with wisdom to avoid a larger catastrophe.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 65
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Parliamentary statements, June 27-29, 1950
  publishedAt: 1950-06-28
  originalLanguage: en
- source: General Douglas MacArthur, UN Commander in Korea
  voiceType: official
  context: MacArthur issued his first operational assessment after arriving in Korea on June 29, 1950, as the North Korean offensive threatened to overwhelm South Korean forces.
  excerpt: The South Korean army is in complete disorder and has lost all chance of gaining the initiative. We must commit American ground forces immediately or face total collapse.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Operational reports and dispatches, June 29, 1950
  publishedAt: 1950-06-29
  originalLanguage: en
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Korean Peninsula military personnel
  thenValue: ~1.2 million combined forces
  thenYear: 1950
  nowValue: ~3.7 million combined forces
  nowYear: 2024
  note: North and South Korea combined active military
- metric: GDP per capita South Korea
  thenValue: $54
  thenYear: 1950
  nowValue: $32,445
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Nominal USD; South Korea transformed from war-devastated state
- metric: Population of Seoul
  thenValue: ~1.4 million
  thenYear: 1950
  nowValue: ~9.7 million
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Metropolitan area; city heavily bombed during war
- metric: Korean War casualties
  thenValue: ~3 million total (1950-1953)
  thenYear: 1953
  nowValue: Deadliest conflict since WWII by contemporary measures
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Military and civilian deaths combined; higher casualty rate than Vietnam War
- metric: Demilitarized Zone width
  thenValue: ~4 km established by armistice
  thenYear: 1953
  nowValue: ~4 km
  nowYear: 2024
  note: One of world's most fortified borders; largely unchanged since cease-fire
consequences:
- title: Partition solidified
  year: 1953
  description: Armistice Agreement signed on July 27, 1953, formally divided Korea along the 38th parallel with a demilitarized zone; families separated; no peace treaty signed, only cease-fire
- title: Cold War escalation
  year: 1954
  description: Korean War demonstrated Cold War proxy conflict model; led to formation of SEATO in September 1954 and accelerated U.S. military expansion across Asia
- title: UN collective security doctrine
  year: 1950
  description: First major test of United Nations' ability to respond to aggression; UN authorized military action under Security Council Resolution 82 on June 27, 1950, establishing precedent for collective defense
- title: Chinese military emergence
  year: 1950
  description: People's Republic of China entered war in October 1950 with 300,000 troops; established itself as major military power and signaled willingness to challenge Western influence in Asia
- title: South Korea's transformation
  year: 1960
  description: War devastation created foundation for economic restructuring; Park Chung-hee's military government (1961 onward) pursued rapid industrialization, eventually making South Korea a global economic power
- title: Nuclear militarization pressure
  year: 1954
  description: War's scale prompted U.S. to station tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea by 1954; escalated nuclear arms race and made Korean Peninsula flashpoint for nuclear brinkmanship for decades
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Arirang
  note: Traditional Korean folk song gained renewed cultural significance during and after war as symbol of Korean identity and separation
- title: The Battle Hymn of the Republic
  artist: Julia Ward Howe (1861 composition)
  year: 1950
  note: Widely played by UN forces; became associated with war campaign in American popular culture
topFilms:
- title: The Steel Helmet
  year: 1951
  note: Samuel Fuller's film released during Korean War; one of first major Hollywood treatments of ongoing conflict
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: Korean War arrived in American consciousness as 'forgotten war' overshadowed by WWII's immediate past and Vietnam's future dominance. 1950 marked transition to Cold War competition model. In Korea itself, war created generational trauma and division that shaped all subsequent cultural production-literature, film, music became expressions of separation, mourning, and desire for reunification.
relatedQueries:
- Korean War timeline 1950-1953
- North Korea South Korea division history
- 38th parallel demilitarized zone
- Chinese intervention Korean War
- Korean War casualties statistics
- Douglas MacArthur Korean War
- UN Security Council Korean War response
- Korean War armistice agreement
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260601145829/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-01
  label: Korean War
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Chosin.jpg/1280px-Chosin.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Chosin.jpg/800px-Chosin.jpg"
  caption: Korean War
  credit: Wikipedia · "Korean War"
  width: 330
  height: 265
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: North Korea Invades South; UN Security Council Calls Emergency Session
  publishedAt: 1950-06-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Communist forces crossed the 38th parallel in force early Sunday morning, striking south with tanks and infantry in what officials describe as a coordinated invasion. President Truman convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council as UN diplomats prepared emergency resolutions.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: The Times (London)
  publisherSlug: the-times-london
  headline: Communist Attack on South Korea - American Response Expected
  publishedAt: 1950-06-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - North Korean troops have launched a full-scale assault across the demarcation line dividing the peninsula. British observers await clarity on American military intentions as the Security Council convenes.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Tass (Soviet News Agency)
  publisherSlug: tass
  headline: South Korean Forces Attack North; Moscow Denounces Aggression
  publishedAt: 1950-06-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "RU: 'Южнокорейские войска напали на север' / EN: 'South Korean forces attack the north.' Soviet officials characterized the conflict as a defensive response to capitalist provocation, with Moscow pledging diplomatic intervention."
  significance: 80
  type: newspaper
  region: Soviet Union
- publisher: The Manchester Guardian
  publisherSlug: manchester-guardian
  headline: "Korea: The Crisis Deepens as UN Prepares Action"
  publishedAt: 1950-06-26
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - As North Korean columns push deeper into the south, Western powers mobilize through the United Nations framework. Military analysts warn of rapid escalation if great power intervention accelerates.
  significance: 82
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Time Magazine
  publisherSlug: time-magazine
  headline: "Red Korea Strikes: The Test of UN Nerve"
  publishedAt: 1950-07-03
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: The invasion of South Korea by Communist forces represents the first direct military challenge to the fledgling United Nations organization. American forces mobilize as the question of collective security hangs in the balance.
  significance: 88
  type: magazine
  region: United States
translations:
es:
lede: El 25 de junio de 1950, Corea del Norte invadió Corea del Sur, desencadenando una guerra de tres años que mató a millones y dividió la península en dos estados separados. El conflicto enfrentó fuerzas comunistas respaldadas por la Unión Soviética y China contra Corea del Sur y una fuerza liderada por las Naciones Unidas dominada por Estados Unidos, estableciendo un estancamiento militar que persiste hoy.
summaryShort: La Guerra de Corea fue un conflicto armado librado en la Península de Corea entre Corea del Norte y Corea del Sur y sus aliados. Corea del Norte fue apoyada por China y la Unión Soviética, mientras que Corea del Sur fue apoyada por las Naciones Unidas lideradas por Estados Unidos bajo los auspicios del Comando de las Naciones Unidas (UNC). El
summaryLong: La Guerra de Corea fue un conflicto armado librado en la Península de Corea entre Corea del Norte y Corea del Sur y sus aliados. Corea del Norte fue apoyada por China y la Unión Soviética, mientras que Corea del Sur fue apoyada por las Naciones Unidas lideradas por Estados Unidos bajo los auspicios del Comando de las Naciones Unidas (UNC). El conflicto fue una de las primeras grandes guerras proxy de la Guerra Fría y uno de sus conflictos más mortíferos para los no combatientes, ya que se estima que entre 1,5 y 3 millones de civiles fueron asesinados durante la guerra. La guerra fue la primera vez que el Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas autorizó el uso de la fuerza conforme al Capítulo VII de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T11:16:25.329Z"
fr:
lede: Le 25 juin 1950, la Corée du Nord a envahi la Corée du Sud, déclenchant une guerre de trois ans qui a tué des millions de personnes et divisé la péninsule en deux États distincts. Le conflit opposait les forces communistes soutenues par l'Union soviétique et la Chine à la Corée du Sud et à une force dirigée par l'Organisation des Nations unies dominée par les États-Unis, établissant une impasse militaire qui persiste aujourd'hui.
summaryShort: La Guerre de Corée était un conflit armé menée sur la péninsule coréenne entre la Corée du Nord et la Corée du Sud et leurs alliés. La Corée du Nord était soutenue par la Chine et l'Union soviétique, tandis que la Corée du Sud était soutenue par l'Organisation des Nations unies dirigée par les États-Unis sous les auspices du Commandement des Nations unies (UNC). Le
summaryLong: La Guerre de Corée était un conflit armé menée sur la péninsule coréenne entre la Corée du Nord et la Corée du Sud et leurs alliés. La Corée du Nord était soutenue par la Chine et l'Union soviétique, tandis que la Corée du Sud était soutenue par l'Organisation des Nations unies dirigée par les États-Unis sous les auspices du Commandement des Nations unies (UNC). Le conflit était l'une des premières grandes guerres de procuration de la Guerre froide et l'un de ses conflits les plus meurtriers pour les civils, car on estime que 1,5 à 3 millions de civils ont été tués pendant la guerre. La guerre a été la première fois que le Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies a autorisé l'usage de la force en vertu du Chapitre VII de la Charte des Nations unies.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T11:16:28.641Z"
de:
lede: Am 25. Juni 1950 fiel Nordkorea in Südkorea ein und löste einen dreijährigen Krieg aus, der Millionen tötete und die Halbinsel in zwei separate Staaten teilte. Der Konflikt stellte von der Sowjetunion und China unterstützte kommunistische Kräfte gegen Südkorea und eine von den Vereinten Nationen angeführte, von den Vereinigten Staaten dominierte Streitmacht gegenüber, was zu einer bis heute andauernden militärischen Pattsituation führte.
summaryShort: Der Koreakrieg war ein bewaffneter Konflikt auf der koreanischen Halbinsel zwischen Nordkorea und Südkorea und deren Verbündeten. Nordkorea wurde von China und der Sowjetunion unterstützt, während Südkorea von den Vereinten Nationen unter der Führung der Vereinigten Staaten unter der Schirmherrschaft des United Nations Command (UNC) unterstützt wurde.
summaryLong: Der Koreakrieg war ein bewaffneter Konflikt auf der koreanischen Halbinsel zwischen Nordkorea und Südkorea und deren Verbündeten. Nordkorea wurde von China und der Sowjetunion unterstützt, während Südkorea von den Vereinten Nationen unter der Führung der Vereinigten Staaten unter der Schirmherrschaft des United Nations Command (UNC) unterstützt wurde. Der Konflikt war einer der ersten großen Stellvertreterkriege des Kalten Krieges und einer seiner tödlichsten Konflikte für Zivilisten, da geschätzt wird, dass während des Krieges 1,5 bis 3 Millionen Zivilisten getötet wurden. Der Krieg war das erste Mal, dass der Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen die Anwendung von Gewalt gemäß Kapitel VII der Charta der Vereinten Nationen autorisierte.
generatedAt: "2026-06-08T11:16:32.003Z"
