THE CAUSES OF THE KOREAN WAR

If we wish to go as far back as possible, one cause could simply be the fact that the
Korean peninsula is rather small, and surrounded by larger areas. Korea is a small
peninsula surrounded by China, Russia, and Japan. Because of this, Koreans have
often had trouble keeping everyone away and have often fallen under control of
neighboring empires. They were controlled by China on and off for over 1000 years.

If we wish to look at something more closely related to the cause, however, we

should look at specifically Japan and Korea. In 1904 the Japanese took over Korea,
as many countries had done. This took place until the end of the second world war.
In the east, there was a war going on with Germany against Adolf Hitler. But, we
need to keep in mind there was a war in the west as well, against Japan.

The Soviet Union (led by Joseph Stalin) and the United States made a deal with each
other to force the Japanese out of Korea. Together, the United States and the Soviet
Union succeeded in freeing Korea from Japanese rule. However, as part of the
agreement to form an alliance, the Soviet Union would maintain the top half of
Korea after the war, and the United States would do so in the bottom half. The
dividing line was the 38th parallel.

After two years, both countries pulled out of Korea, leaving it on its own. In North
Korea, where the Soviets had been, a communist government was left behind. The
United States left behind a democracy.

And this is where problem begins....Because the two separate governments were
left behind and Korea had been split into North Korea and South Korea (1948), each
side wished to unify all of Korea again under their own form of government. North
Korea formed as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Kim Il Sung was
placed as leader (prime minister). In South Korea, Syngman Rhee became
president. North Korea wished to unify Korea as communist, while South Korea
wished to bring democracy to all of Korea.

As disputes grew, the two sides became more aggressive. The United States pulled
out from South Korea, dropping from 40,000 troops to approximately 500 troops.
The United States also limited the number of weapons given to South Korea in fear
of Syngman Rhee leading an attack on North Korea. A second reason for limiting
weapons was a new policy in the United States concerning Asia, NSC 48/2. The
Soviets had developed a nuclear bomb by 1949. The communists in China and the
Soviet Union were also powerful. The United States felt the best way to aid the area
would be non-military in hopes of avoiding further wars. The United States would
defend Japan, The Rykus Islands, and the Philippine Islands if attacked by
communists, but not Korea.
Unfortunately, North Korea had plans of their own. When Secretary of State Dean
Acheson said Korea would not be included in the new defense policy, this further
motivated North Korea into an attack.

On June 25th, 1950, North Korean armies crossed the 38th parallel, in hopes of
unifying Korea by force. The Korean War had begun.

Invasion of South Korea

In a little known event prior to the start of the Korean War, a CIA officer named
Douglas MacKiernan stationed in China gathered intelligence that predicted the war.
MacKiernan had volunteered to stay in China when all other diplomats had left the
country. He gathered valuable intelligence on the intent of the North Koreans and
their ally the Chinese. He and his local CIA trained security were forced to flee and
they spent months trying to get over the Himalayas on horse back. MacKiernan was
killed within miles of the Tibetian town of Lhasa. His men did make it with this
valuable information and they turned it over to the US officials there. The North
Koreans crossed the 38th parallel 13 days later. MacKiernan received the CIA's
award for valor, the coveted Intelligence Star, for his actions.

Under the guise of a counter-attack, the North Korean Army struck in the pre-dawn
hours of Sunday, June 25, 1950, crossing the 38th parallel behind a firestorm of
artillery. The North claimed Republic of Korea Army (ROK) troops under the “bandit
traitor Syngman Rhee" had crossed the border first, and that Rhee would be
arrested and executed. While certainly true that both Southern and Northern
militaries had for the past year exchanged gunfire and crossed over the 38th
parallel, the attack on June 25 was considered by some nations to be an extension
of the North's plan to unify the country and not a direct result of a particular attack
from the South.

The United Nations Security Council was convened in a few hours and passed the
UNSC Resolution 82 condemning the North Korean aggression unanimously. The
resolution was adopted mainly because the Soviet Union, a veto-wielding power,
had been boycotting proceedings since January, in protest that the Republic of
China (Taiwan) and not the People's Republic of China held a permanent seat on the
council. President Truman had made a statement on June 27, 1950 ordering the
United States air and sea forces to give the South Korean regime support. While the
United Nations Security Council was convened and had been debating the issue
from the invasion forward it only issued Resolution 83 on June 27 which definitively
recommended member-states militarily assist the Republic of Korea. The Soviet
Union's foreign minister accused the United States of starting armed intervention on
behalf of the Republic of Korea before the Security Council was summoned to meet
on June 27, and confronting the UN with a fait accompli.
Critics charged that the information on this resolution was based on U.S. sources
referring to reports of the South Korean army. The DPRK was not invited to sit as a
temporary member in the UN which some say violated Article 32 of the UN Charter.
It was argued that the situation in Korea did not fall within the scope of the UN
Charter since the initial clashes between North and South Korean forces would have
to be classified as a civil war. Since the USSR representative decided to boycott the
United Nations with the announced purpose of preventing action by the Security
Council, the legality of UN action was challenged; legal scholars argued that
unanimity among the five permanent members was required to take action on
important matters.

At the outbreak of war, the North Korean Army was equipped with 274 Type 58
tanks, about 150 YAK fighters, 110 attack bombers, 200 artillery pieces, 78 YAK
trainers and 35 reconnaissance planes. Around 231,000 North Korean soldiers
invaded South Korea. These forces were assigned to the invasion while 114 more
fighters, 78 bombers, 105 Type 58 tanks, and 30,000 were stationed in North Korea.
Their navy had several small warships, and launched attacks on the South Korean
Navy. North Korea's logistics system was able to quickly move supplies south as the
army advanced. Thousands of Korean civilians running south were forced to hand-
carry supplies, many of whom later died in North Korean air attacks.

According to Roy E. Appleman in "South to the Naktong - North to the Yalu", the
South Korean Army had 98,000 soldiers of whom only 65,000 were combat troops.
Unlike their northern opponents the South Korean military had no tanks at all, and
the South Korean air force consisted of a mere 12 liaison-type aircraft and 10
advance trainers (AT6). There were no large foreign combat units in the country
when the war began, but there were large American forces stationed in nearby
Japan.

The North's well-planned attack with about 231,000 troops achieved surprise and
quick successes. North Korea attacked a number of key places including Kaesŏng,
Chuncheon, Uijeongbu and Ongjin.

Within days, South Korean forces, often of dubious loyalty to the Southern regime,
were in full retreat or defecting en masse to the North. As the ground attack
continued, the North Korean Air Force conducted bombing of Kimpo Airport near
Seoul. North Korean forces occupied Seoul on the afternoon of June 28. An air battle
took place over the city in which 37 South Korean fighters were shot down while
only 9 North Korean fighters were downed. Two days later, the largest battle
between only North and South Korean forces happened. The North Koreans
destroyed 89 tanks, 76 artillery pieces, 19 bombers, and 21 fighters. South Korean
casualties were 7,000, while 16,000 were captured. Many of these South Koreans
later fought for North Korea. Many South Koreans deserted after the battle.
However, North Korea's hope for a quick surrender by the Rhee government and the
reunification of the peninsula evaporated when the United States and other foreign
powers intervened with UN approval.