Korean War and the aftermath

By Tiffany Son

Background of War:

• August 15, 1945, Korean became independent from Japan by Japan declared unconditional surrender.• U.S. army came to South Korea, and Soviet Union was in North Korea to disarmament of Japan.• However, Korea had to divided by North and South because of different opinions between U.S. and Soviet Union at the Cairo Conference. • Soviet Union, officials in the North, disconnected all the communication between the two Koreas by the 38th parallel boundary. And they landed in many places in North Korea.

Background of War:

• Soviet Union had a different purpose than disarmament of Japan, they were aiming to strengthen control on Korea, and U.S. was against the hostile government because they thought then Soviet Union could threat them and Asia.• U.S. landed in Seoul, South Korea later, however, by that time, the Soviet Union called Il-Sung Kim, and start the socialist construction.• They couldn’t make any better, but they created a war in two Koreas.

Korean War:

• June 25th, 1950, the North Korean came out from the 38th boundary, they fired all over and they started to move farther, this is how the war began.• Because North Korea started the War, South Korea did not have enough plan and because it was on Sunday, many soldiers was at their home. North Korea knew that situation, so they ran their plan fast.• However, S. Korea soldiers who did not go home last day, they threw Molotov cocktails on the inside of N. Korean tanks.

Korean War:

• N. Korea occupied Ui-Jeng-Bu of South Korea in about 1 day, and also they took Seoul after 3 days.• MacArthur from UN made a plan “the Inchon Landing” to get their land back. After 2 weeks they landed in Inchon, S. Korea could recapture Seoul. It was a big momentous event to get back Seoul for S. Koreans. • About 4 thousand marching soldiers of S. Korea army and UN forces were lost during the Inchon landing and recapture of Seoul.• North Korea soldiers were killed 1 million 2 thousand, 7 thousand of captive, and about 50 tanks were breakdown.

Korean War:

• By the end of September in 1950, S. Korea could retorted of the status of the pre-war. • MacArthur broadcasted to demanded the North Koreans and the Commander in Chief to surrender. He demanded two times, however, North Korea did not answer it. • S. Korea expected that situation, so they put their plan to run: On October 9th, S. Korean breakthrough N. Korea. People in South Korea hoped this happening could make unification of two Koreas.

Korean War:

• The war held till July 27th, 1953, and the unification did not happened.• Casualties of South Korean civilian: 373,599 people killed, 229,625 people injured, 84,532 people hijacked, 2,4 00, 000 people were refuge, 200, 000 war widow, and 100,000 war orphans.• Casualties of South Korean soldiers: 58,809 soldiers killed, 178,632 soldiers injured, and missing (captive) 82, 318 soldiers.• Casualties of UN soldiers: 36,991 soldiers killed, 115,648 soldiers injured, and missing( captive) 6,994 soldiers.• Casualties of North Korean: 2,000,000 casualties of civilian, 520,000 soldiers of North Korean and CCF killed, 406,000 soldiers injured, and 900,000 soldiers for other.

Interview:• This interview is from my grandmother who was in the war, however, the story is my grandfather’s story who also was in the war but passed away last summer 2010. • He heard a gunshot , people’s scream, and the siren with saying run away in early morning. This is how he knew the war began. However, because he did not live close to the boundary, this happened few days later than the war began.• His parents, younger brother, and he had to refuge to other towns where the war did not affected yet, and by this time, he was a young teenager boy. They were moving depended on North soldiers moving. So, he went to his uncle’s house because there was safe for few more month because where his uncle lived is unknown place. However, North soldiers attached there also, so he ran out to the mountain.• His family and he lived in the caves for long time, and his mother and younger brother had to go back and forth to home to get some foods and clothes because the cold weather. It took 2 weeks to go back and forth to home and the cave. However, his father and he did not go out of the cave often because if they caught from S. soldiers, they had to go war because of the age.

Interview:

• The common food that they had during the war was barley, also his mom exchanged food with other people to get other foods.• When they had to move to other places, and when nights come, they stayed in empty houses. They could wash their faces if they see streams in the mountains. • His family and he had many times of dangerous situations such as the bombs fell right beside of them. • He was so scared and sad because he saw many people get killed, and he didn’t know when that going to happen to his family or to him.• His family and he was lucky, they could all survived till the war stopped. When they went back to their house, it was all destroyed, so they needed to re-build the house.

Truce:

• International Allies commander and commander of North Supreme signed on Korea Military Armistice Agreement on July 27th, 1953.• The Korean War could stopped the war about 3 years later.• To oversee the implementation of a truce Military Armistice Commission was established.

Separated Families:

• From the war, so many of separated families created. It was because as they called truce, they closed 38th boundary when the family wasn’t moving together or, some of their family had to go back to the houses to get some food, clothes, and other. They could not go back to their parents, children, or other families. • About 1,000,000 people were separated from their families. They could not know if their families are lived or not. • Koreas had chance to reunion the separated families in 1985. 35 people from South Korea, and 30 people from North Korea could see their families. However, they cannot live together as past, it is because North Korean can’t leave their country. The reunion is only to know if the family is lived, and to see each other.

Separated Families:

• Two Koreas had the conversation of reunion for long time, but it did not become as successfully.• After the chance to reunion some separated families in 1985, they made agreement to make reunions.• 15 years later, in August 2000, the first official reunion of separated families could held in two Koreas. And this is continuing in today also.• 12 times of reunion had held, and 11,788 people had chance to see their families. (by December, 2006)

Today’s North Korea:• South Korea gave North Korea so many stuff such as foods, and money to keep good with North Korea. However, Kim Jung-Il used those money to develop their weapons.• However, North Korea continue to want to be the big issue in the world, the most recent happening was fire incident in Yeonpyeongdo, South Korea, in November of 2010. • Kim Jung-Il, present president of North Korea, wants his 3rd son, Kim Jung-Un, to be heir since his health became worse.• We can not think as it came closer to be unification because he is the one that is really similar to his father.

Thank You

Bibliography:

• http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=123386• http://www.koreanwar60.go.kr/10/2001010100.asp• http://cafe.naver.com/no1penspiners.cafe?iframe_url=/ArticleRead.nhn%3Farticleid=64912