Korean War

Written By Willem Conner

On June 25th, 1950, five years of tension on the Korean peninsula came to a head when forces loyal to the communist government in the north attacked those of the anti-communist government in the south. Suddenly, the eyes of the world turned to this formerly isolated nation, as outside powers intervened and turned what had begun as a civil war into a new front in the world-spanning ideological and geopolitical contest known as the Cold War. With the fate not only of Korea, but of the world at stake, the lasting effects of this conflict would be felt for decades to come.

This is the story of the Korean War.

Cover Image: As U.S. infantrymen march into the Naktong River region, they pass a line of fleeing refugees. August 11th, 1950. (Photo by Bettmann via Getty Images)

Episodes (listed in reverse order)

Featured
Korean War
Korean War Part 11: The Path to Peace
Korean War

The war in Korea enters its third year, and the prospect of total victory has long since been deemed unrealistic. New leadership rises to power in both the US and USSR intent on brokering a ceasefire, but the situation in Korea remains shrouded in uncertainty.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 10: Dead Souls
Korean War

We divert from the main narrative to examine one of the most controversial aspects of the Korean War- the prisoner of war issue. Although the treatment of prisoners of war was codified into international law following World War II, both sides in this conflict would violate these laws to further their respective ends.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 9: The Stalemate
Korean War

The military situation in Korea devolves into a stalemate a year after the war began. Negotiations are opened to bring a stop to the bloodshed, but it very quickly becomes apparent that the diplomatic process will be more fraught than some may have hoped. 

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 8: Turning the Tide
Korean War

As a new year dawns, the war in Korea nears another decisive turning point. Meanwhile, a domestic political crisis in the United States threatens to expand the conflict and plunge the world into a new conflagration.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 7: No Substitute for Victory
Korean War

As the UN coalition struggles to mount a defense in the face of China’s intervention in the final weeks of 1950, they are forced to reckon with the fact that they now face an ‘entirely new war’ in Korea.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 6: The Long Way Back
Korean War

The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army springs the trap on UN forces in Korea, inflicting significant losses and forcing the enemy to withdraw south of the 38th parallel. Against all odds, the US Marines trapped at the Chosin Reservoir try to fight their way to safety.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 5: Points of No Return
Korean War

As the UN forces gain momentum following the Battle of Incheon, they must decide whether to continue advancing north of the 38th parallel. Meanwhile, China and the Soviet Union weigh the possibility of intervening on behalf of their North Korean comrades.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 4: Brother Against Brother
Korean War

General Douglas MacArthur hatches an audacious plan to turn the tide of the war in favor of the United Nations coalition. Meanwhile, long-standing tensions in Korea explode to the forefront, with the resulting violence leading to unspeakable atrocities and the deaths of thousands.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 3: Crossing the Parallel
Korean War

War begins in earnest on the Korean peninsula, as North Korean forces cross the 38th parallel on June 25th, 1950. As the Korean People’s Army advances rapidly southward, the American government is forced to decide whether or not to intervene in the conflict before it is too late.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 2: The Divided Nation
Korean War

The year 1948 sees the establishment of two separate Korean governments in the north and south. Amidst growing tensions between the US and the USSR, the Korean peninsula seems poised to become the location of the first direct confrontation between the Soviets and Americans over spheres of influence.

Korean War
Korean War
Korean War Part 1: Traitors and Patriots
Korean War

After having long been subjected to the rule of foreign powers, it seemed that with the defeat of Japan, the dream of Korean independence might finally be realized. However, the victorious allied powers of World War II had other plans.

Korean War

Two refugees pass by a stalled M-26 tank, near Haengju, South Korea. June 9th, 1951.

Bibliography

Cumings, Bruce. The Korean War: A History. Modern Library, 2011.

Halliday, John and Cumings, Bruce. Korea: The Unknown War. Pantheon Books, 1988. 

Haruki, Wada. The Korean War: An International History. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. 

Hanley, Charles J. Ghost Flames: Life and Death in a Hidden War, Korea 1950-1953. Hachette Book Group Inc, 2020. 

Hastings, Max. The Korean War. Simon and Schuster, 1987. 

Jager, Sheila Miyoshi. Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in Korea. W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 

Mitchell, Arthur H. Understanding the Korean War: The Participants, the Tactics, and the Course of the Conflict. McFarland & Company, 2013.

Peters, Richard and Li, Xiaobing. Voices from the Korean War: American, Korean, and Chinese Soldiers. The University Press of Kentucky, 2004.  

Shinn, Bill. The Forgotten War Remembered, Korea: 1950-1953. Hollym International Corp, 1996.

Willem Conner
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