Inchon Bay Landing

UN troops, made up mostly of US soldiers, were first sent to protect the city of Pusan in the South. Then, in September 1950, General MacArthur led the UN invasion, starting with a landing at Inchon Bay, near Seoul, 150 miles behind enemy lines. This was very successful and by October, all North Korean troops had been driven back beyond the 38^th parallel.

Chinese Troops counter-attack

The US led United Nations force then invaded North Korea, believing that China would not intervene. They were wrong. UN forces almost reached the Yalu river and in Oct 1950 China sent in 200 000 troops, equipped with Soviet tanks and weapons. The Chinese counter-attack drove the UN back and China successfully captured Seoul. By March 1951, however, the US-UN force had recaptured Seoul and both sides were back where they had started – either side of the 38^th parallel.

Stalemate 1951-1953

President Truman did not want to escalate the war further so he ordered the UN troops not to attack North Korea. He then sacked General MacArthur because he publicly criticised this policy and also hinted that the US should use nuclear bombs against China.

From 1951 – 1953 both sides dug in defensively facing each other across the 38^th parallel. However the war in the air continued. The US bombed North Korea including using napalm. The Chinese sought help from the USSR who supplied planes but painted them in Chinese colours to hide their own involvement. The UN lost 3 500 planes whilst the USSR lost 3 000.

GCSE Conflict in Asia 1950 - 1975 AQA

Key Events of the Korean War