The Korean War: A Sudden Tragedy and the Beginning of UN Forces-South Korea Relations

The most important function of the United Nations (UN) is to maintain international peace and security. The effort to create one Korean state under the UN oversight was defeated by the Soviet Union. That led to two different regimes being formed. One supporting liberal democracy in the South, and communism in the North. 

Immediately upon the establishment of the North Korean regime, Kim Il Sung proposed to unify the Korean Peninsula by force. In March and September 1949, not long after the withdrawal of the Soviet troops, he declared his intention to invade the South to Stalin.

At 4 a.m., June 25, 1950, North Korean forces, without any provocation by the South, launched an all-out attack, with field artillery and mortar shelling, on South Korea across the entire region around the 38th parallel in drizzling rain and fog and started a carefully preplanned surprise attack. By evening of the same day, North Koreans advanced from 20 to 40 kilometers on all fronts, and it took mere three days to occupy Seoul--the capital.

President Rhee sent an autographed letter to President Truman, asking the US for immediate and effective aid. Chang Myon, the Korean ambassador to the United States, visiting President Truman at the White House with this letter, explained the war situation and entreated the US for aid.

The UN had been engaged in peace-keeping operations in Korea. However, as the core of the resolution set out, it started to engage in peace-forcing operations based on the UN Charter in participating in the Korean War as one of the combatants.

To defend the freedom and peace of the Republic of Korea, 16 countries dispatched combat units and six countries dispatched medical units. More than 1.95 million young men came to fight on the battlefields of the Korean Peninsula to help a country they hardly knew and whose people they have not even met.

For the ROK's Freedom and Peace! 

Battle of Osan, the first engagement with the North Korean army by Smith Unit; Battle of the Nakdong River Defense Line, where a miraculous victory was achieved; Incheon Landing Operation that changed the momentum of the war; and Battle of Chosin Reservoir, where soldiers displayed extraordinary will to fight despite the extreme cold. The Republic of Korea survived these critical ordeals at the cost of the lives of the UN forces.

It is estimated that around 37,000 of the UN forces have died and around 113,000 were missing-in-action or injured during the Korean War that lasted from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953--1,129 days to be exact.

The Korean War was the first war waged to restore peace under the single flag of the UN. Considering that there were 93 independent countries in the world at the time and that only 61 were UN member states, it could be said that 65% of the countries in the world took part in united efforts to fight for the freedom, peace, aid and restoration of the Republic of Korea.