The Korean War is often known as the forgotten war with many us soldiers returning home to little to no welcome. This summer marks 70 years since their return. By the end of the war, almost 5 million were dead. 40,000 Americans died in action. The Korean War was officially *** United Nations police action but American soldiers died there yet, when the veterans came home, it was *** complete zero. We didn't get any recognition whatsoever. Nobody even knew we were in *** war. Nobody knew what was going on in Korea. I think the nation as *** whole wanted to forget it. And, uh, that's probably the reason it's just never been taken care of. It was kind of ***, an unstated bargain between the American citizenry and the GIS. We won't um bring up the war and you have had no necessity to confront your experiences as well. And so the United States then put the war behind it and moved on to other matters. The war was pushed to the back of the American collective mind for many reasons. The war started only five years after World War two. So the general public was focused on those veterans and that major victory, there was also no rationing at home either. So life felt relatively normal for civilians. But probably the biggest reason for it being forgotten was the fact that it never really ended. The last two years of fighting were *** stalemate. And ultimately the creation of the Demilitarized Zone or the DMZ lay around the 38th parallel where fighting had initially begun. The DMZ stretches 160 miles along the border and acts as *** buffer between the North and South Korea. The defeats that American troops were sustaining on the battlefield which were really unprecedented in the history of the United States. Keep in mind their memory was *** us overwhelming military victory during World War two just years earlier. And so Americans were very frustrated with the war and very fearful of what the war meant for it and they wanted the war to end today. 70 years later, the war is still technically going on, although it is peace time and it's important to emphasize from the beginning that the armistice didn't end the war. The war goes on to this very day, the armistice only ended the fighting. And so there still exists *** formal existence of war between the United States and South Korea and North Korea and China reunification of the Peninsula remains *** long term goal, bringing back *** singular career. But that is far from likely according to Professor James Mare, I see no possibility of reunification of Korea. South Korea has all of the advantages in the competition between the two. And it's really an understatement to say that they have *** far superior economy. It provides fully for the needs of its people. North Korea, on the other hand, runs *** brutal dictatorship has *** pathetic economy can barely provide for its own people. North Korea holds on to its position precariously. It's able to rely upon nuclear weapons as *** deterrent against any sort of military action taken against it to overthrow the regime. Shortly after the Korean War, Koreans favored reunification. Many had family members on either side of the DMZ and wanted to reunite as time went on. Though generations passed the gap between North and South Koreans widened the reunification of Germany which occurred in 1990 1991. And many in Korea believed that that was going to happen in Korea. And many believe that as *** result of the demise of the Soviet Union, that the North Koreans weren't going to be able to survive much economically, but that um sentiment quickly dissipated during the 19 nineties when South Koreans became aware of the huge cost that West Germany had to pay for the rehabilitation of East Germany to rehabilitate North Korea after reunification would make, you know what took place in Germany look like *** Sunday walk in the park now, although Koreans are mostly uninterested in reunification, the peninsula remains in *** precarious situation as the North develops nuclear weapons. After *** recent barrage of missile launches the country clarifying its message overnight, the drills displayed to the full ready to hit set objects at any location and any time. But the situation is eased by the US A's promise to defend South Korea from any attack. While reunification is likely no longer an option. The impossibility of it actually helps maintain peace regime survival in the North disinterest in the South produces little focus upon reunification. And that is *** force promoting peace on the peninsula.
70th anniversary of the Korean War
On July 27, 70 years will have passed since an armistice was signed in Korea, bringing an end to fighting on the peninsula. On this historic anniversary, Clarified reflects on why the war started, why it is known as the "forgotten war" and the way in which it has shaped the world ever since.
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Updated: 10:57 AM CDT Jul 31, 2023
July 27, 2023, marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, often referred to as the “forgotten war." To mark this milestone, we remember the war, its veterans and its outcome. The war began only five years after the end of WWII. Korea was initially a Japanese colony, but was surrendered to the Allied Powers after Japan’s defeat. The Soviets and Americans divided the peninsula into two halves at the 38th parallel. North of the parallel was the communist Soviet-backed North Korea, and to the south was the American-run South Korea.In June of 1950, the North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung launched an invasion of South Korea, attempting to reunify the peninsula. The army pushed South and almost ran the South Koreans off the land. However, in September, troops from the United Nations, many of whom were American, launched an Amphibious attack at Inchon and fought hard against the North Koreans. They managed to push the North Korean army back past the parallel and all the way up to the Chinese border. The balance of power shifted again when the Chinese got involved in the war in October 1950, not wanting a U.S. ally on its doorstep. The Chinese army, as well as bitterly cold conditions, pummeled the U.S. troops, South Koreans and UN soldiers, pushing them once again back under the 38th parallel. From then on, the war became a stalemate, with both sides fighting around the parallel, but neither making major gains. On July 27, 2023, an armistice was signed, which stopped the fighting. One of the conditions of the ceasefire agreement was the establishment of a demilitarized zone. The DMZ stretches 160 miles across the Korean peninsula and is roughly in the same location as the 38th parallel. It marks the border between the two nations to this day. By the time the fighting ended, almost five million people had died, with almost half being civilians. Around 40,000 Americans died in action and 100,000 were wounded. Although the fighting has ended, the war is still technically alive, with no formal end. Catch part 2 of this episode of Clarified to understand why it was called the forgotten war and how its consequences affect global politics to this day.
July 27, 2023, marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, often referred to as the “forgotten war." To mark this milestone, we remember the war, its veterans and its outcome.
The war began only five years after the end of WWII. Korea was initially a Japanese colony, but was surrendered to the Allied Powers after Japan’s defeat. The Soviets and Americans divided the peninsula into two halves at the 38th parallel. North of the parallel was the communist Soviet-backed North Korea, and to the south was the American-run South Korea.
In June of 1950, the North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung launched an invasion of South Korea, attempting to reunify the peninsula. The army pushed South and almost ran the South Koreans off the land. However, in September, troops from the United Nations, many of whom were American, launched an Amphibious attack at Inchon and fought hard against the North Koreans. They managed to push the North Korean army back past the parallel and all the way up to the Chinese border. The balance of power shifted again when the Chinese got involved in the war in October 1950, not wanting a U.S. ally on its doorstep. The Chinese army, as well as bitterly cold conditions, pummeled the U.S. troops, South Koreans and UN soldiers, pushing them once again back under the 38th parallel.
From then on, the war became a stalemate, with both sides fighting around the parallel, but neither making major gains. On July 27, 2023, an armistice was signed, which stopped the fighting. One of the conditions of the ceasefire agreement was the establishment of a demilitarized zone. The DMZ stretches 160 miles across the Korean peninsula and is roughly in the same location as the 38th parallel. It marks the border between the two nations to this day.
By the time the fighting ended, almost five million people had died, with almost half being civilians. Around 40,000 Americans died in action and 100,000 were wounded.
Although the fighting has ended, the war is still technically alive, with no formal end. Catch part 2 of this episode of Clarified to understand why it was called the forgotten war and how its consequences affect global politics to this day.
