ASIA

NORTH Atlantic
AMERICA Area
Ocean of Pacific
AFRICA
detail Ocean
SOUTH
AMERICA
AUSTRALIA

KOREAN WAR
On Sunday, June 25, 1950, President Harry Truman was spending the to “render assistance to the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to
U.S. S.R.

weekend in his hometown of Independence, Mo. At 9:20 in the morning he repel the armed attack and to restore international peace and security to Vladivostok
received a phone call from Secretary of State Dean Acheson: “Mr. the area.”
President, I have very serious news. The North Koreans have invaded The attack was a total surprise. The last American troops had recently
South Korea.” been removed from South Korea.
That afternoon the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously for Truman was caught between needing to win the first conflict of the Cold
an end to hostilities and immediate North Korean withdrawal to the 38th War and avoiding World War III. After about a year of trading territory, the
parallel. The vote was unanimous because of a Soviet boycott over the war settled into a deadly two-year stalemate that resembled the trench
U.N.'s refusal to admit Communist China in place of Nationalist China. warfare of World War I. On July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed that
On June 27, a stronger resolution was passed calling on member nations established a border near the original one of three years earlier.
After World War II
Troop movements Chongjin
CHINA
North Korean invasion
er
u Riv Unites States/United Nations counterattack Ha
Yal nR
ive
7th r
NORTH
China intervention Maximum United Marine Reg.
KOREA Nations advance 3rd
Battalion
38th parallel Oct. 23, 1950 Yellow 187th Reg.
5th
CHINA er Chosin Kimpo Marine SeoulSept. 27
SOUTH Riv Reservoir
Sea 5th Airfield Reg.
a lu Marine
KOREA Y Reg.
Kimchaek Yongdungpo
Sinuiju Inchon
32nd
Infantry
Unsan Sept. 15 7th Div.
Infantry
North Korean invasion Div.
June 25 – Sept. 15, 1950 The 38th parallel
The 38th parallel had no basis in Hungnam
Korean geography or culture. It NORTH KOREA
was arbitrarily chosen at the end
of World War II to facilitate the Sea of Japan Inchon invasion Sept. 15 - Sept. 27, 1950
surrender of Japanese troops
simply because it was on most Korea Pyongyang One of the most daring maneuvers in U.S. military history, it caught the
existing maps. Japanese troops Bay North Korean forces completely by surprise. It was also one of the last
north of the line surrendered to Wonsan successful moves by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. It cut off the North
Russia; those south of it Korean supply routes and allowed the 8th Army to break out of the
surrendered to the United States. Current border Pusan Perimeter and advance north, ultimately pushing the North
Demilitarized zone extends Koreans back over the 38th parallel.
about 1.25 miles on either
Ichon side of the border

79th Div.
United Nations counterattack Kaesong 89th Chosin
Panmunjon
Sept. 15 – Oct. 23, 1950 Div. Reservoir
Armistice was signed July 27, 1953, two years and 17 days after
talks began at Kaesong on July 10, 1951. Forty-five percent of Dec. 1
American casualties occurred after the first armistice talks began. Hagaru 76th Div.
On Aug. 5, 1953, 3,607 Americans were returned to the United Seoul Maximum Chinese Dec. 6
advance 59th Div. 77th Div.
Nations. Twenty-one Americans chose to remain in North Korea Inchon
or China. Technically the agreement is only a truce. Jan., 1951 58th Div.
Wonju Koto-ri
Ansan 60th Div. Dec. 8
Yellow
1st
War deaths compared Sea Suwan Marine
Division
Total deaths of Americans in Korea compared to other Dec. 11
wars. Total deaths are battle deaths and deaths in the Hamgung
war theater. Figures are as of Sept. 30, 2001.
SOUTH KOREA U.S. Army Hungnam
405,399 3rd Infantry Sea of
Division Japan

Chinese intervention
Nov. 25, 1950 – Jan. 1951 Pohang Chosin Reservoir Nov. 27 - Dec. 11, 1950
Initially part of Gen. MacArthur's race to the Yalu River. When Marines
Taegu encountered a large Chinese force, they began to withdraw to the
Pusan Perimeter established Hungnam perimeter while Chinese forces attempted to cut them off
August 1950. Halted North near Koto-ri. The Marines were able to be resupplied and reinforced
50 Miles Korean advance. Held by the along the route and made it to Hungnam on Dec. 11. The Marines
U.S. 8th Army until it went on suffered more than 700 killed in action or from wounds, 192 missing in
the offensive Sept. 15 after
the Inchon invasion action, 3,508 wounded and thousands of casualties from frostbite. It is
estimated the Chinese had 37,500 men killed, wounded or lost to the
Pusan cold. The Chinese 9th Army was ineffective afterward and the Chosin
campaign is regarded by the Marines as a victory over superior forces.
116,516
Korea Strait

58,203 Koje Do
36,576 After the success of the Inchon invasion, the United Nations
Stalemate Command found itself with more than 130,000 POWs by
Armistice of Panmunjon, July 27, 1953 November 1950. In January 1951, 50,000 prisoners were 63rd Chinese Army
383
transported to the island of Koje Do. Overcrowding and discipline Belgian
World World Korean Vietnam Gulf were problems throughout the war. In February 1952, 77 battalion
War I War II War War War prisoners died in clashes with guards. The next May, the camp
1917-18 1941-46 1950-53 1964-73 1990-91 commandant was captured by prisoners for a few days. Royal
Imjin River Northumberland
Fusiliers
The air war JAPAN
North Korea didn’t have much in the way of
MiG – 15 strategic targets and its forces quickly learned to Gloucesters
First appeared over Korea in move at night so the strategic bombing common in
November 1950. By 1953, 830 World War II wasn’t much use in Korea. However,
MiGs were deployed. the Korean War did see the first air combat Hill 235
Manufactured in the Soviet Union between jet fighters. Most aerial combat took
and flown mostly by Chinese pilots. Initially place over North Korea.
very effective against American B-29 Nagasaki
29th Brigade
bombers and F-80 jets. Headquarters

Combat forces Imjin River (Battle of Gloucester Hill) April 23-25, 1951
Nation Forces Combat deaths
North Korea 260,000 214,899 On April 22, 1951, Chinese Communist forces launched their spring
offensive with an army of 250,000 men along a 40-mile front. British
China 2,300,000 401,401
and Belgian forces were part of the 8th Army defensive line. After three
TOTAL 2,560,000 616,300
days of fighting they were ordered to withdraw. The Gloucesters were
F-86 Sabre
United Nations Command cut off and attempts to resupply them failed. Out of 850 Gloucesters,
Became the principal jet fighter of the
Australia 2,282 304 169 made it to brigade headquarters, about 250 were killed or
U.N. Never more than 150 deployed in
Belgium 900 99 Korea. The MiG could outclimb the Sabre wounded and the rest were captured. However, the Chinese suffered
Canada 6,146 309 but was slower. The Sabre jet dominated the greater losses and the offensive failed to gain significant ground.
Colombia 1,068 140 skies over Korea. A total of 792 MiGs were shot
down in the war while 78 Sabre jets were lost.
Ethiopia 1,271 121
France 1,119 288
U.S. national defense budget U.S. military personnel
Greece
Netherlands
1,263
819
196
120 In billions of dollars In millions Nuclear warheads
While President Truman publicly disavowed the use of nuclear weapons in
Luxembourg 44 2 $100 15 Korea, the United States continued to build its nuclear stockpile. In January
New Zealand 1,389 31 $81.585 12,123,455 1953, the United States successfully tested a nuclear bomb small enough to 3,620
Philippines 1,496 112 80 12 be used in artillery. Gen. MacArthur wanted to use them in Manchuria.
South Africa 826 20 While campaigning for the presidency in 1952, Gen. Eisenhower issued
$40.245 veiled threats over the use of nuclear weapons. The U.S. nuclear
South Korea 590,911 58,809 60 9 warhead stockpile: 2,280
Thailand 1,294 129
2,935,107 1,630
Turkey 5,455 741 40 $13.119 6
1,460,261 1,161
United Kingdom 14,198 722
832
United States 302,483 36,576 20 3
298 438
TOTAL 932,964 95,772 13 56 169
Note: Figures vary with sources 0 0
Medical assistance was provided by Denmark, India, Italy, Norway and Sweden 1945 1950 1955 1945 1950 1955 1947 ’48 ’49 ’50 ’51 ’52 ’53 ’54 ’55 ’56
Sources: The Korean War, by Max Hastings; Truman, by David McCullough; Korean War Almanac;
The Times Concise Atlas of World History; The History Atlas of Asia; Globalsecurity.com; The United Nations; National Geographic Research by Kitty Bennett and Steve Madden Times art – STEVE MADDEN