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THE KOREAN WAR 1ST FULL ALBUM 'THE KOREAN WAR'

FOREWORD 'THE KOREAN WAR' AN INTRODUCTION

On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel into South Korea, subsequently capturing most of South Korea. Supported by China and the Soviet Union, North Korea’s attack stunned the US, prompting American troops to be sent to support South Korea within two days. The war itself was a costly battle that stabilized at the 38th Parallel. For three years the battle continued, with the majority of the war locked in a deadly war of attrition. On July 27, 1953, an armistice was finally signed. Although active fighting stopped, the two Koreas are still engaged in war to this day. As for the US, South Korea became a lifelong friend and partner in battle. The Korean War had lasting impacts on the US foreign policy and budget, as well as for the citizens of America and Korea. Naturally, this foreword is just a simplified version of the events that happened in the war. The remainder of ‘The Korean War’ attempts to understand the everlasting and ongoing impact this three-year war had on both Korea and America.

THE KORE

June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953

1ST FULL ALBUM 'THE KOREAN W

WHEN RED LEFT A TALE OF WHY THE NORTH KOREA ATTACKED SOUTH KOREA, STARTING THE WAR.

LONG TIME NO SEE

19:50

SPAM 'N KIMCHI

A TALE OF WHY THE US DECIDED TO JOIN THE WAR AND SUPPORT SOUTH KOREA.

A TALE OF AMERICA'S POLICIES DURING THE WAR AND EFFORTS TO FIGHT THE WAR.

A TALE OF HOW THE WAR AND THE US IMPACTED THE KOREAN MILITARY.

AN WAR

WAR' | TRACKLIST

KST

LIP SERVICE A TALE ABOUT HOW THE TWO KOREAS ARE STILL IN CONFLICT TODAY, LOCKED IN A STALEMATE.

WAS IT A MISTAKE A TALE OF AMERICAN CITIZENS' RESPONSE TO THE OUTBREAK OF WAR.

orphans A TALE OF THE KOREAN CITIZENS AND THE IMPACT THE WAR HAS HAD ON THEM.

THINKING 'BOUT U A TALE ABOUT CURRENT RELATIONS AMONG KOREA, THE US, AND OTHERS IN THE WAR.

05 06 07 08

WHEN RED LEFT // HOW IT ALL STARTED During World War II, the allies (US, China, USSR, & Great Britain) made a vague agreement with no further discussion or planning that Korea should become an independent country after the war ended. Tensions were mounting between Russia and Japan again, and at the Potsdam Conference in 1945 it was decided that Soviet troops would occupy the northern area of Korea and US forces do the same in the south to secure the area and liberate it from Japanese control. The occupations would be temporary and solely for the purposes of kicking Japan out of Korea. Korea would decide its own political future once the US and Soviets theoretically left. Despite the good intentions of the two nations that came to Korea’s aid against Japan, the situation that emerged in Korea after Japan’s surrender was far from the happy ending everyone expected. It was agreed that Korea needed aid in rebuilding the country after Japan had left it unstable. The Soviet Union would be in charge of the north, and the US would be in charge of the south half of Korea.

The US proposed the divide to be at the 38th parallel, and moved their forces into the south a month after the USSR. However, with the start of the Cold War, the two countries were at odds with one another and tensions were only rising. Each regime claimed sway over their side of the peninsula and established their respective political systems. Korea had been at the center of a strategic yet dangerous political position surrounded by Japan, Russia, and China - three major powers during that era. As such, Korea had been a vulnerable asset to its neighbors since its birth. The country’s decent size and convenient location gave Korea enough value to be worth fighting and scheming over, yet not enough to merit full consideration and priority attention in its own right by the more powerful nations around it. To protect itself, Korea signed a Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1882 with the US, in which the US promised its “good offices” in the event of an external threat. Unfortunately, the treaty was not enough to impact the prevention nor outcome of the Japanese invasion in 1905, though due to expire in 1910.

Russia had its eyes on the weakness at the rim of the Chinese mainland. The most optimal entrance to that point of weakness was through the buffer state of Korea. However, upon sending their forces into Korea, Russia came into conflict with Japan. In an effort to prevent combat, Japan proposed that they divide Korea into two spheres of influence at the 38th parallel. Russia rejected the offer, the RussoJapanese war of 1904 ensued, and the victor that arose a year later was Japan. The only potential obstacle left between Japan and its colonization of Korea was the US. Yet, William Howard Taft, the Secretary of War, approved Japan’s domination of Korea as long as Japan would not challenge the US’s domination of the Philippines. Japan was allowed an untroubled annexation of Korea. For the next 35 years, Korea would struggle under the harsh rule of its colonial master. The communist government set up by the Soviet Union had access to most of the heavy industry, electric power, and mineral resources. The north was therefore able to cut off the electricity and fertilizer supply that went to the south.

On the other hand, the capitalist south that was steered by the United States inherited a larger population as well as more of the agriculture and light industry. Both military occupations failed miserably, resulting in a steadily worsening situation across Korea. Especially in the South, where the USAMGIK (the US military occupation) faced major population discontent, destroying the economy, engaging in conflict against the public, and watched thousands die under their jurisdiction as nationalists fought communists in a civil war that arose due to the elections for Harvard and Princeton Graduate - Syngman Rheeheld by the USAMGIK. In the north, the USSR chose guerilla commander and former soldier in the Soviet army training camps, Kim Il Sung to head its regime. Kim Il Sung’s burning ambition to reunite his country prompted him to instigate conflicts between the two sides. In 1950, Kim Il Sung attempted to form a unified communist nation under the encouragement of the USSR by launching a terribly successful military assault on South Korea. The US retaliated with the formation and dispatch of the United Nations Command forces. This was the beginning of the Korean War.

June 25th, 1950, was the fateful day when North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel and commenced an attack on South Korea. Communist forces had attacked the democratic Republic of Korea (RoK). The initial response of the Truman administration was to acknowledge the conflict with a determined sort of readiness. One of the biggest reasons for this was because of South Korea’s geographical position between the Soviet Union, China, and Japan, as well as the fear of the “domino effect” -- Truman was afraid that if South Korea was taken over, Japan would be next, and Japan was very important to American trade. Before taking action, however, it was first determined that North Korea’s actions were separate from China to minimize the possibility of Chinese interference in the war. South Korea was a prime example of a country in need of help from the attack of communism. According to the Truman Doctrine, it was the US’s responsibility to help. This mindset was especially relevant during these times considering recent advances of communism in China, the Berlin blockade, and USSR’s development of atomic weapons.

LONG TIME NO SEE // WHY WE FIGHT Among the public, Hitler’s fascism and his Nazi empire in the 1930s had created fear and paranoia of what might happen should communism prevail. Many already blamed Truman for Zedong’s communist victory in China a few years prior, criticizing Truman for being “too soft” on communism in Asia. Anti-Soviet ideals contributed to the push for intervention, as the popular opinion was that the USSR was behind North Korea’s attack. Not only that, the expected costs of the war were low. As far as the US knew, North Korea was a small country acting without direct support from the Soviet Union or China. The Truman administration knew that the USSR was busy in other parts of the world fighting separate wars. So, without support from China, it wasn’t expected that North Korea would hold up for long. The US also hoped to enlist military support from the UN, considering that the USSR was boycotting the UN. Considering that China was not expected to intervene, and neither was the USSR, the Korean War was expected to be an easy win for the US without triggering a global conflict.

On June 26th, one day after the conflict had begun, President Truman announced that the US would secure the withdrawal of the communist forces of North Korea, justifying US interference by highlighting North Korea’s disregard of the UN Charter that called for keeping peace. Truman didn’t want another world war, so he firmly emphasized that the US’s actions were due to UN protocols.

19:50 // WHAT WENT DOWN Once the US decided to join the war, President Truman sent General Douglas MacArthur and his troops to South Korea, landing in Inch’ŏn to join South Korean forces. This successful landing allowed the South Korean and United Nation (UN) forces to drive North Korean forces north of the 38th Parallel, but MacArthur, unsatisfied with the success, continued to push the North Korean troops north nearly to the northern border with China. After the triumphant battle, on October 7, 1950, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a US resolution to establish a unified, democratic Korea. In this resolution, it appeared that the Western alliance was to go beyond containment to a rollback strategy—destruction of the communist North Korean government. A month later, communist Chinese forces attacked across the northern border, causing the UN forces to retreat south of the 38th Parallel. General MacArthur urged for the right to expand the war, wanting to bring in every weapon the US had at its disposal. However, many strongly opposed expanding the war and bringing in nuclear weapons.

By April 1951, the UN forces recapture Seoul and regain control of the 38th Parallel. For the next three months, Korea was in a bloody deadlock. During this time, President Truman wanted to begin peace negotiations, concerned about the number of lives already lost in the war. To him, the war was about halting the spread of communism into South Korea. General MacArthur, however, believed a ceasefire was inappropriate, demanding aggressive fighting to eventually liberate North Korea from communist control. MacArthur ignored Truman’s orders to issue his own ultimatum to China, causing Truman to fire him for insubordination. On July 10, 1951 in Kaesong, Korea, armistice talks finally began, dragging on until Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1952. For two years, fighting continued until Eisenhower hinted that the US might use nuclear weapons, and an armistice was signed July 27, 1953. The war, as a result, increased the US defense budget.

With the outbreak of the Korean War, the US made commitments to contain Communist expansion—aiding South Korea became the highest priority. Throughout the war, the US supported the Korean economy, but quickly focused their efforts on building a modern South Korean army. The beginnings of the South Korean military, however, was unstable. With the rapid recruitment of military officers and no background checks, the loyalty of those involved with the military was questionable, and many also lacked the understanding of the difference between democracy and communism. What was present in the military, however, was the strong aspiration for national independence. When the US first came to help the Korean military, both sides were wary of each other. The Koreans were suspicious of the Americans, but the Americans were perhaps even more suspicious of the Koreans, who they viewed as enemy infiltrators, spies, and saboteurs. As the war progressed, the US and Korean military fought side-by-side, often under the same command, and this distrust lessened.

SPAM 'N KIMCHI // CHANGES CAN BE GOOD In addition to the continual deployment of American troops to South Korea, the US provided the Korean military with financial aid, logistic support, weapons, and equipment. Through the joint command system between the two forces, the Korean military learned modern military strategies and tactics, thereby making it a modern military. During the war, the Korean military became Americanized, adopting American culture and linguistics. One significant custom adopted by the Koreans was Spam. Soldiers would rummage through the leftovers of the American military and create a dish out of anything they found. The dish is known today as budae jjigae or army stew, and it combines traditional Korean ingredients, such as kimchi, rice cakes, and instant ramen, with American cheese and Spam. Towards the end of the war, the social status of the military rose and fostered a sense of duty and honor for those who fought in the war.

Education was expensive in South Korea at the time, but the military offered free educational opportunities. It was also the military that constructed buildings, schools, roads, bridges, and dams after the war and promoted civic action programs providing relief from the war. For South Korean male citizens, service in the military became mandatory. In the US, the war changed the American perception of security in South Korea, and the Korean military became one of America’s most reliable partners.

LIP SERVICE // SO WHO WON After two years of neck to neck fighting around the 38th parallel, the two sides were locked in a complete stalemate. However, after nearly 5 million deaths all the involved nations no longer wished to keep fighting and risk even greater losses than they already had. All involved parties had also just come out of World War II and were already weary of war as well as militarily exhausted. By this time, Chinese and North Korean forces had run out of supplies while they were pushing their way down toward the 38th parallel. North Korea was virtually defeated, but to really win the war UN forces would have to fight into China territory - a daunting proposition. Had the US decided to try to push the Chinese out, the Soviets were likely to either openly enter the war in Korea or open up another front in Europe. This could very possibly have led to nuclear war and a third world war, which the US wanted to avoid at all costs. Having essentially reestablished the border in its pre-conflict location, it was simply a matter of negotiating a ceasefire without losing any more territory. The Soviets had a very nuanced and ambiguous role in the war. USSR leadership approved the conflict in its opening phase and encouraged

prolongation of war when US forces approached the Soviet frontier, but sought to end the war to improve relations with the West when the two sides ground into a stalemate. The Soviet Union had been overly hesitant and slow in sending military aid throughout the war. As such, it appears that Stalin's overriding imperative as the war progressed was avoiding a confrontation with the US. Chinese intervention came after warning UN forces not to cross the 38th parallel, and later not to approach the Yalu river. Their motives came from protecting their own border, returning the aid North Koreans provided in their own civil war revolution, and a desire to use the opportunity to promote Maoist ideology by halting what they believed was “American imperialism”. However, the war was starting to cause political complications for Mao, as many of the 300,000 lost men were former Chinese Nationalist troops that had defected in the latter years of the Chinese Civil War. So, as Chinese forces ran out of supplies at the 38th parallel, the situation quickly became one where neither the Chinese or the Americans could push the

other out without escalating the war effort with costs that would be politically unbearable, but also couldn’t get out of without cooperation from the opposing side - a tar baby. The US was also not interested in continuing the war. While the majority of the American population was in support of the war due to the national effort in World War II, the heavy casualties from the Korean War wore down the goodwill of the public as people were wondering why their troops were dying in a nation no one had even heard about before 1950. For the US government and United Nations, preserving South Korea as independent and non-communist was enough for them. Defeating China was just not on the list. All the nations fighting in this war wanted peace more than the Korean peninsula.

On July 27, 1953 the armistice was signed by China, North Korea, and the United Nations. South Korea refused, refusing to accept a divided country and willing to fight until the very end in order to reunite the two countries. The armistice preamble read, "in the interest of stopping the Korean conflict, with its great toil of suffering and bloodshed on both sides, and with the objective of establishing an armistice which will insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved.” With this, the fighting ceased. The war never really ended, however, and continues to this day.

WAS IT A MISTAKE // TO THE PEOPLE OF THE USA When the news spread that war had begun in Korea, the vast majority of the public cried for the US to intervene as soon as possible. Discontent at Mao Zedong’s communist victory in China and paranoia from Hitler’s regime in the 1930s of the rise of a strong communist nation caused the public mood to be for swift, decisive intervention. As one journalist stated, “Time is of the essence. We must constantly keep in mind that Holland was overrun by Nazi Germany in five days and Denmark in two…” Truman’s announcement of air and naval support to South Korea was met with widespread support, even from opposing Republicans and media. “I have lived and worked in and out of this city [Washington] for 20 years. Never before in that time have I felt such a sense of relief and unity pass through this city…Mr. Truman obviously did much more than he was expected to do, and almost exactly what most individuals seemed to wish he would do.” - Joseph Harsch, journalist From the US citizen’s perspective, the prospect of winning the war was high as long as no other countries intervened. The Korean War was a way for the US to reassert itself

over communism, especially after failing to stop Mussolini, Hitler, Zedong, and the Japanese in previous years. Many citizens believed in the noble cause to rescue South Korea from the clutches of communist invasion and restore world peace.

The Korean War was seen not as merely the attack of North Korea on South Korea, but a movement of communist forces in Europe and Asia into Korea. Note how communism is depicted as an evil, wounded bear.

Unfortunately, North Korean troops, who had been training 5 years for war, were much stronger than initially expected. The minimal troops and equipment sent to South Korea were much less than enough to quell the war, and US and South Korean forces were continually pushed South by North Korea. The public still responded with dissatisfaction: people wanted more, bigger mobilization and action. After the capture of Incheon, the war changed direction in the favor of the US and the UN and victory seemed imminent. Seeing this, China finally intervened in favor of North Korea. China continuously poured its huge number of forces into Korea, and the end of the war drifted further and further away from sight. Then, on the November 30th press conference, Truman lost his temper and threatened to launch the atomic bomb. His words made headlines everywhere and caused

public concern over possible war with the USSR and China in response to Truman’s provocation. Meanwhile, the situation in Korea got worse until Truman was finally forced to declare a national emergency on 12/16. A string of defeats in Korea left the public discouraged, many regretting sending troops into Korea in the first place. Once winning the war seemed difficult and casualties as well as potential sacrifices rose, public support for the war dropped. Today, the Korean War is known as the “Forgotten War,” due to being overshadowed by WWII and Vietnam. However, the Korean War was still a horrifying war, and many Korean War veterans have stepped up to share the horrible experience that was the war. Though there have been some tensions between Americans and Korean regarding the American base in Korea, resulting in protests and leaving some Americans feeling that the Koreans were being ungrateful for their effort during the war, today, both sides share a generally positive sentiment towards each other. Korea has risen to become a global power, and its relationship with the U.S. has stayed constant for many years.

orphans // TO THE PEOPLE OF KOREA The Korean War left a devastating impact on the citizens of Korea both physically and psychologically. By the time the war ended, at least three million Koreans had died, 50% of which were civilians. Families became torn apart from the North and South divide, and over 100,000 children became war orphans. Inherently, the war was between Koreans, who were divided by the 38th Parallel. Added to the psychological scar of the divide was the absence of parents, persecution, and hunger, which left lasting trauma on survivors. The prolonged exposure to these devastating events negatively impacted both civilians and the members of the military, leading to poor physical and mental health. For the South Koreans, they realized that the presence of the US in the military was not ideal, but they understood that it was the American military that could protect the country from further invasions. By the end of the war, they had signed a mutual defense treaty that would call the other nation for help if one side was attacked. As a result, the South Koreans began to view the US as a good friend or older brother, and this mutual respect became one of the war’s unintended lasting consequences.

By the end of the war, Korea and the U.S. signed the US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty. The treaty allowed the U.S. to maintain its Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine in ROK to “defend against external aggression”— namely, DPRK. In turn, the U.S. was also able to promote its interests across Eastern Asia and globally through the U.S. base in Korea as well as through ROK troops. On the economic side, the KORUS FTA (Korea-Us Fair Trade Agreement) bolstered the economic relationship between the U.S. and Korea. As a result, South Korea began to view the U.S. in a positive light, and the mutual respect between the two countries became one of the lasting and unintended consequences of the war. The alliance between Korea and the U.S. was designed to “serve as part of a network of alliances and military installations designed to ring the Soviet threat in the Pacific….[, ]deter a second North Korean attack, with U.S. ground troops serving as the "tripwire" guaranteeing U.S. involvement.,, [, and] restrain the South from engaging in adventurism."

THINKING 'BOUT U // HOW ARE YOU TODAY The Korean War impacted the beliefs of U.S. statesmen in ways that changed their mindsets and paved the way for the rest of the Cold War. One of the ways that this happened was with how the U.S. perceived the threat of communism in Europe. Before the Korean War, the general view was that the USSR and other communist countries, including DPRK, were “threatening but weak, expansionist but cautious.” The Korean War was clear evidence, however, of the willingness of communist countries to cause conflict. The fact that the USSR was supposedly behind the war and China joining in the middle of it all strengthened such sentiments in the U.S., becoming partly responsible for the anti-communist beliefs of the Cold War. China’s appearance in the war also created Sino-American tensions. Decision-makers in the U.S. began to think that China was extremely hostile towards the U.S., straining tensions. U.S. soldiers that remained in China after the war irritated the Chinese government and further weighed down the relationship between the two countries.

Another result of the war was the militarization of NATO. The USSR had shown itself to be aggressive and warprone, so the U.S. decided it needed a defense front in Europe. The Korean War had shown the inconveniences of mobilizing an army after the conflict began. NATO militarization, U.S. presence in Europe, increased contributions from Europe, German armament, and a working infrastructure all contributed to the militarization of NATO. These actions unintentionally solidified the division of Germany and caused Soviets to feel threatened. Limited warfare became introduced as a concept to the U.S. as a result of the Korean War. It was the idea of fighting a war without full-out commitment. What was labeled as “policing action” during the Korean War, limited warfare, was a concept introduced by Korea to the U.S. This new policy would later become the norm for U.S. military intervention. In a similar fashion, the U.S. also began to spread commitments over the globe. The U.S. 's claim that it would not defend Korea had invited attack. To prevent this from happening again, the U.S. began to make commitments in threatened places.

North Korea continued to be a threat after the Korean War was put on hold. It became yet another place of communist influence on the globe. As the Korean War conflict was not properly put to rest and ended in stalemate, there have been concerns about North Korea’s movement, particularly concerning nuclear missiles.

CREDITS June 1950

North Korea attacked and captured most of South Korea. America grew alarmed and quickly supported South Korea. Americans troops sent to Korea.

Sept. 15, 1950

General MacArthur landed at Inch’ŏn with UN troops. North Koreans pushed back and South Korea reclaimed.

Oct. 7, 1950

General MacArthur invaded North Korea, advancing to Chinese border.

Nov. 25, 1950

Chinese troops attacked UN troops, supplied by Russia.

Dec. 31, 1950

Half a million more Chinese troops entered war, attacking the US. Human wave that drove back the UN forces. Recaptured North Korea and advanced into South Korea.

Mar. 1951

President Truman fired General MacArthur. Eisenhower elected president.

July 27, 1953

Armistice signed; war truce.