The Korean War
The Korean War was a Cold War-era conflict fought between North and South Korea from 1950 to 1953, resulting in a stalemate that left the peninsula divided to this day.
Erupting just five years after World War II's end, this conflict became the first major military confrontation of the Cold War, drawing in Chinese and American forces and leaving a divided peninsula that endures more than seven decades later.
Invasion Across the 38th Parallel
The war began when North Korean forces invaded South Korea in June 1950, crossing the dividing line established after World War II, prompting a United Nations military response led by the United States.
Chinese Intervention
The war's course shifted dramatically when Chinese forces intervened on behalf of North Korea, pushing back UN forces after they had advanced deep into North Korean territory.
A Bloody Stalemate
The conflict eventually settled into a bloody stalemate near the original dividing line, with both sides suffering enormous casualties over three years of intense fighting.
An Armistice, Not a Peace Treaty
The war ended with an armistice in 1953 rather than a formal peace treaty, technically leaving North and South Korea still officially at war to this day.
