✦ History

Korean War

June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953 · Seoul

Result Inconclusive

The war began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea, following the post-1945 division of the peninsula at the 38th parallel. South Korea was backed by a United Nations force led by the United States, while North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union. After three years of fighting, the war ended in a stalemate with the armistice of 27 July 1953.

On the map Overview Contemporaries

North Korea and allies

South Korea and UN forces

Other

North Korea
People's Republic of China People's Volunteer Army, from October 1950
Soviet Union Arms, advisers and air units
South Korea
United States Led the United Nations Command
United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
Turkey
France
United Nations
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Belgium
Colombia
Ethiopia
Greece
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Thailand
Philippines
South Africa
Netherlands
Mao Zedong Chairman, People's Republic of China Joseph Stalin General Secretary of Communist Party, Soviet Union Kim Il-sung Supreme Commander, Korean People's Army Zhou Enlai Premier Peng Dehuai Commander of the People's Volunteer Army
Dwight D. Eisenhower President, United States Harry S. Truman President, United States Winston Churchill Prime Minister, United Kingdom, from October 1951 Clement Attlee Prime Minister, United Kingdom, until October 1951 Douglas MacArthur Commander, United Nations Command, Led the Inchon landing; relieved in April 1951 George C. Marshall Secretary of Defense Omar Bradley Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Syngman Rhee President of South Korea
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Matthew Ridgway Commander, United Nations Command Walton Walker Commander, Eighth Army, Defended the Pusan Perimeter; died in December 1950 Mark W. Clark Commander, United Nations Command, Signed the 1953 armistice

Strength and losses

North Korea Killed c. 316,579 · Deaths 294,151–316,579 · Missing 91,206

People's Republic of China Killed c. 422,612 · Deaths 183,108–197,653 · Missing 25,621

Soviet Union Deaths 299

South Korea Killed c. 113,248 · Deaths 137,899 · Captured 8,343 · Missing 24,495

United States Strength 1,789,000 · Killed 33,739 · Deaths 36,574 · Wounded 103,284 · Captured 7,245

Belgium Killed c. 97

Canada Killed c. 309

Colombia Killed c. 140

United Kingdom Killed c. 710

Netherlands Killed c. 111

Greece Killed c. 169

France Killed c. 288

Turkey Killed c. 717

Philippines Killed c. 92

Thailand Killed c. 114

Ethiopia Killed c. 120

Australia Killed c. 291

Killed
c. 910,084

Units

24th Group Army 63rd Group Army 64th Group Army Korean People's Army People's Volunteer Army 191st Motorized Infantry Brigade 196th Light Combined Arms Brigade 52nd Mountain Motorized Infantry Brigade 64th Fighter Aviation Corps I Corps (North Korea) II Corps (North Korea) 5th Division (North Korea) IV Corps (North Korea) V Corps (North Korea) VI Corps (North Korea) 105th Armored Division (North Korea) 112th Mechanized Infantry Division 113th Mechanized Infantry Division 116th Mechanized Infantry Division 11th Garrison Division of Shenyang Military Region 129th Division (People's Republic of China) 137th Division (People's Republic of China) 148th Division (People's Republic of China) 197th Division (People's Republic of China) 198th Division (1st Formation) (People's Republic of China) 1st Division (North Korea) 204th Division (People's Republic of China) 3rd Division (North Korea) 4th Division (North Korea) 6th Division (North Korea) 118th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (People's Republic of China) 18th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment Korean People's Navy Korean People's Army Air Force
Australian Army 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Canadian Army 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Royal Canadian Regiment Eighth United States Army II Corps (South Korea) 5th Infantry Division (South Korea) Also under III Corps (South Korea) 8th Maneuver Division III Corps (South Korea) 2nd Quick Response Division (South Korea) IX Corps (United States) 25th Infantry Division (United States) Also under I Corps (United States) 35th Infantry Regiment (United States) 5th Infantry Regiment (United States) 27th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) Also under I Corps (United States) 29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) 902 Infantry Brigade Turkish Brigade 1st Commonwealth Division 24th Infantry Division (United States) Ethiopian Army Korean Augmentation to the United States Army National Army of Colombia Philippine Army Puerto Rico National Guard Republic of Korea Army I Corps (South Korea) 3rd Infantry Division (South Korea) Also under II Corps (South Korea) Capital Mechanized Infantry Division Also under IX Corps (United States) 17th Infantry Brigade (South Korea) Republic of Korea Marine Corps Royal Marines United Kingdom Commando Force Royal Thai Army Turkish Land Forces United States Army I Corps (United States) 1st Infantry Division (South Korea) US 2nd Division 1st Ranger Infantry Company (United States) 23rd Infantry Regiment (United States) Regiment van Heutsz 2nd Engineer Battalion (United States) French Battalion US 3rd Division 164th Regiment (United States) Fifth Air Force Twentieth Air Force United States Army Corps of Engineers United States Army Special Forces Belgian Volunteer Corps for Korea I Army Corps (Greece) II Army Corps (Greece) Transportation Corps X Corps (United States) 1st Marine Division 11th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Regiment 5th Marine Regiment 7th Marine Regiment 11th Airborne Division 11th Maneuver Division 12th Infantry Division (South Korea) 15th Infantry Division (South Korea) 40th Infantry Division (United States) 45th Infantry Division (United States) 7th Infantry Division (United States) 9th Infantry Division (South Korea) 1st Provisional Marine Brigade 14th Infantry Regiment (United States) 187th Infantry Regiment (United States) 19th Infantry Regiment (United States) 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 3rd Ranger Infantry Company (United States) 5th Cavalry Regiment 75th Ranger Regiment 7th Infantry Regiment (United States) 8th Cavalry Regiment Greek Expeditionary Force (Korea) Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery 1st Reconnaissance Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines 4th Tank Battalion (United States) Colombian Battalion Kagnew Battalion Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company Colombian Navy French Navy Philippine Navy Republic of Korea Navy Royal Australian Navy Royal Canadian Navy Royal Navy Royal Netherlands Navy Royal New Zealand Navy Royal Thai Navy United States Pacific Fleet Royal Air Force Royal Australian Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force Royal Thai Air Force South African Air Force United States Air Force 136th Operations Group
71st Group Army 79th Group Army 81st Group Army 82nd Group Army 83rd Group Army Indian Army 21st Infantry Regiment (United States) 24th Infantry Regiment 27th Infantry Regiment (United States) 34th Infantry Regiment (United States) 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment 7th Cavalry Regiment 9th Infantry Regiment (United States) 67th Fighter Squadron Fleet Air Arm People's Liberation Army Air Force Airborne Corps Turkish Air Force Carrier Air Wing Eleven

Battles 48

Key events

1950 34 events
1951 7 events
1952 3 events
1953 4 events

Before and after

Ended by
Korean Armistice Agreement July 27, 1953
Led to
1954 Geneva Conference April 26 – July 20, 1954

Related events 1 degree away • 2 degrees away

1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
 
Pacific War
 
Chinese Communist Revolution
 
Soviet–Japanese War
 
Cold War
 
Korean War
 
Korean Armistice Agreement
 
1954 Geneva Conference

Also involved 58

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