On January 12, 1950, the U.S. Secretary of State, Dean Acheron, addressed the National Press Club in Washington D.C. He made the announcement that, in the line with the U.S. policy of containing communism in a certain geographical boundaries. The defense perimeter in the Pacific would run from Aleutians, off Alaska, down Japan, the Ryukyu’s Islands and the Philippines. The countries lying beyond the perimeter would have to rely upon their own resources to prevent any communist advances. To the Korean people this meant that the fate of their country was to be left to them.

The speech was greeted with horror by the government of South Korea. The government feared that the military power of the communist government wou

President Truman decided to permit General MacArthur to send UN army across the 38th parallel into North Korea to destroy the North Korean army. MacArthur was directed to allow ROK troops, and no Americans, to go into the northernmost part of North Korea, along the Chinese border. This was intended to show the Chinese that the United States was not trying to threaten them.

On April 22, the Chinese launched an attack that stopped the UN advances and pushed the North Koreans back. On May 22, General Van Fleet ignited a counter attack supported by amount of artillery fire directed at Chinese positions. The Chinese army was now in extremely bad condition, and began to pull back.

General MacArthur had worked out a plan for the United Nations forces to move into South Korea behind the North Korean army that was advancing in to Pusan. This would cut off the North Korean army from its source of supplies. MacArthur planned to land troops at the port city of Inchon on Korea’s west coast, but there were many risks to his plan. North Korea had captured Inchon, and North Korean troops were stationed there. This meant the United Nations landing force would have to fight its way to shore. The channel was narrow and twisted. If the North Koreans had mined the channel with floating explosives, ships carrying United Nations troops would be damaged or sunk. Because of these problems, the generals and admirals in charge of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were apposed to MacArthur’s plan. For six weeks they and MacArthur argued over it. During that time, the United Nations forces around Pusan were fighting to hold off the North Koreans. Finally, MacArthur got his way. Troops and ships were assembled and the landing force sailed to its target.

In the South, the UN army in a ring around Pusan had begun a strong push against the North Korean force facing it. This pushed was time to coincide with landing at Inchon; the UN leadership believed the North Korean troops in the south would be clear for the Eighth army to move out after them. The Korean army had not yet been notified of the landing, and had stayed right where it was, so the UN soldiers found themselves engaged in cruel fighting, able to move forward only very little or none at all.

There is still tension between North and South Korea. As of 1991, there were still thousands of U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea to prevent another invasion from either direction.

Within a few days the North Koreans learned that Inchon and Seoul had fallen and their army was cut off. Some North Koreans surrendered, and some were pursued by the United States, British, and the Eighth Army and were under constant attack from U.S. aircrafts.

Some topics in this essay:
North Korean, South Korean, North Korea, North Koreans, Volunteers McGowen, United Nations, Korean War, American Division, North Koran, north korean, Eighth Army, north korea, north korean troops, korean troops, north koreans, korean army, north korean army, united nations, south korea, 38th parallel, south korean, korean war, north korean soldiers, united nations forces, chinese north korean,