75 Years Since the Outbreak of the Korean War: A Historic Perspective
June 25, 1950, marked the beginning of the War, an event that reshaped global geopolitics and left a lasting legacy in East Asia. Known as the "Fatherland Liberation War" in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the "War to Resist America and Aid Korea" in China, the conflict was the result of rising tensions following the division of Korea at the 38th parallel in 1945.
The groundwork for the war was laid when South Korean forces began conducting raids on the North as early as 1947, shortly after American forces landed in South Korea on September 8, 1945. The hostilities escalated into full-scale war on June 25, 1950, when South Korean troops crossed 1–2 kilometers into North Korea. In response, the Korean People's Army, under the leadership of Kim Il-sung, launched a counteroffensive, capturing Seoul within three days.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea received significant support from the People's Republic of China, led by Mao Zedong, and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. For a brief moment, the possibility of a unified Korea under a communist system seemed within reach. However, direct military intervention by the United States on behalf of South Korea altered the course of the war. The U.S. justified its involvement as an effort to "liberate the North from communism," viewing the conflict as part of a broader struggle against global communism during the Cold War.
The war ended in 1953 with an armistice that left the Korean Peninsula divided. Today, the Korean War remains a stark reminder of the devastating impact of ideological conflicts and the enduring tensions on the peninsula.
