PPT Slide
- 1945 US/USSR divided Korea along the 38th parallel
- North Korean invasion began on 25 June 1950
- 3 years of war cost over 50,000 U.S. casualties
Notes:
AT THE END OF W.W. II, THE JAPANESE SURRENDERED TO THE SOVIET UNION, WHICH GAINED CONTROL OF THE PENINSULA NORTH OF THE 38TH PARALLEL, WHILE THE U.S. RECEIVED THE SURRENDER SOUTH OF THE 38TH PARALLEL. THIS DIVISION LATER BECAME KNOWN AS NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA. FICTITIOUS GENERAL ELECTIONS WERE HELD IN 1948, WHICH ELECTED KIM IL-SUNG AS PRESIDENT (nK). SHORTLY THERE AFTER IN JUNE 1950, NORTH KOREA ATTACKED SOUTH KOREA IN AN ATTEMPT TO REUNITE THE PENINSULA. THE WAR LASTED UNTIL JULY 1953, WHEN A CEASE-FIRE WAS NEGOTIATED AND THE DMZ WAS ESTABLISHED. TWO MONTHS LATER, THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH KOREA SIGNED A MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY COMMITTING U.S. FORCES TO THE DEFENSE OF THE SOUTH. THAT’S WHY WE’RE HERE TODAY. A PEACE TREATY HAS NEVER BEEN SIGNED, SO TECHNICALLY A STATE OF WAR STILL EXIST OR WHAT REMAINS TODAY AS A ARMISTICE.
N. KOREA IS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN MISSISSIPPI WHILE S.KOREA IS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN INDIANA. N. KOREA HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 22 MILLION PEOPLE, AND ITS CAPITAL IS PYONGYANG. THE CAPITAL OF S. KOREA IS SEOUL WITH OSAN AB LOCATED ABOUT 20 NM ALMOST DUE SOUTH.
MDL=MILITARY DEMARCATION LINE (ROUGHLY 38TH PARALLEL)
DMZ=DEMILITARIZED ZONE (A 1.24 NM BUFFER ON EACH SIDE OF THE MDL)