The Korean War Essay -- South Korean History

The Korean War began on June 25th, 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. On June 27th, 1950, American United Nations forces intervened to stop the advance. This action has positively and negatively affected both the United States and Korea. Deciding to aid South Korea in the Korean War has drastically changed the lives of many people. In 1949, China fell into Mao Zedong’s communist forces. More than 500 million Chinese and 220 million soviets lived under communist rule. Japan ruled Korea from 1905 until the end of World War 2. Most Americans had barely even heard of Korea. After World War 2, Korea was divided into North and South (Brownstone and Franck p.238). On June 25th, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. North Korea wanted to unify itself with South Korea and create one Korea. North Korea believed a communist government was the most beneficial government to live under. But South Korea disagreed with them. The 38th parallel is the border that divided North and South Korea (Snippets, 2011). The 38th parallel divided the capitalist Southern part of Korea and the communist Northern part of Korea (Hickey, 2010). During the Korean War, the United States had two presidents. Harry Truman was president when it began in 1950, and Dwight Eisenhower was elected in 1952. The president of South Korea during this time was Syngman Rhee (Hickey, 2010). Korea’s biggest problem has always been the lack of resources. Even today, the limited natural resources and small population have deprived them of being a more powerful nation (Snippets, 2011). China entered the war on October 19th, 1950 (Korean, 2011). General MacArthur sent American troops deep into the South. United State Senators went on television and radio and demanded that ... ...e more power. The war between North and South Korea paused with an armistice signed on July 27th, 1953. Sending troops to fight in the war illustrates the United States’ loyalty to South Korea, and this action has positively affected the United States, Korea, and many other countries. Deciding to aid South Korea in the Korean War has drastically changed the lives of many people. The world would be a lot different if the Korean War never occurred. The United States and China wouldn’t be rivals. Also, there wouldn’t be any hostility between North and South Korea, and the 38th parallel wouldn’t exist. However, the Korean War has created a strong bond between South Korea and the United States. The Korean War was also the first war in which blacks and whites fought alongside each other in the American Armed Forces and the war was a learning experience for the world.