Section 7

Communism

VS
Non-Communism

The Korean War

 Section
7 The Korean War

US vs USSR
After the Japanese Occupation, The superpowers of
the world, US and Soviet Union, came along and
both wanted Korea. So they made a deal. Each
would get a half of Korea. The United States got the
South and controlled their government, while the
USSR took the North and governed it. They put up a
boundary in the middle called the 38th parallel. They
Figure 1
agreed with the fact that neither could cross that line.
A comic drawn by an American comic
However, both sides kept breaking the law and too drawer named Mark Hurwitt. In this
many people started crossing the war, so Soviet Union photo, the US mascot eagle and the USSR
and the US claimed the war. mascot bear (The superpowers) are playing
roulette, as in resemblance to war.

Escaping People
After the war started, many people fled to Busan,
which is located at the bottom of the peninsula.
They knew that Busan was the last place to be
attacked, and if they were attacked, they could
either flee by the ocean or run away. People
walked hundreds of kilometers to get there, no
matter how much it took.
Figure 2
Moms are fleeing with their children,
carrying just enough food and clothes to
walk with, while men are fighting in
war.
 A Memory
This is a memory from one of the Koreans who lived during that time.

“When I was 14 I fled to

Busan with my family. It took
weeks with hardly any food,
and we took whatever was
available.Our clothes were
made of patches and filled Figure 3
This is a photo of a family
with cotton.” ready to go fleeing to Busan.
They have prepared all their
warm clothing and food.

War Progressions
When North Koreans crossed the border on June 25th, 1950, South
Korea took immediate action. Later, the US allied with Korea and sent
them air forces and navy. Throughout the war, UN and other countries
helped the South. The only allies of the North was Soviet Union, but when
the UN accidentally dropped a bomb on China, they entered the war due
to anger. The Chinese also saw this as a chance to use North Korea as a
buffer against possible US invasion. On 1953 the UN dropped a lot of
bombs in North Korea. This made them surrender. Later China retreated
against the US, and the 38th parallel was changed into the DMZ.

Figure 4
South Korean side of the
border. Soldiers are guarding
it. On the top are electric
shock wires.
 Towards the End
On July 1953, the UN air force 625 tons of bombs on North Korea. The
North Koreans didnʼt want further destruction, so they surrendered. Later
China retreated against the UN army. And by the middle of 1954, the 38th
parallel was finally turned into DMZ. The war ended in July 27th July 1953,
in which a cease fire happened. Some people say that the Korean War
has still not ended, but just paused for a bit, because soldiers are still
training to go against each other and things are still tight between Kim
Jongil, the North Korean dictator, and President Lee, the president of
South Korea.

Figure 5
Pictures of the South Korean
president Lee Myungbak (left) and
North Korean dictator Kim Jongil.
(right)

Summary of the War

This is how South

Korea and North Korea
looked before the
Korean War.

North Korea pushed

South Korea until
Busan.
UN troops pushed the
North Koreans back up
until Mt. Baekdu.

UN troops
accidentally dropped
bombs on China, so
China got mad and
started to help North
Korea. North Korea
pushed South Korea
down again.

South Korea pushed North

Korea up again.
Not much, but at least
they got Seoul!