Reflecting on June 25, 1950 and the Communist Invasion of South Korea

For many Americans under the age of 50 or so, the Korean War (previously known as the "Korean Conflict" in politically sanitized language) may not be understood as a major military confrontation like the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Nevertheless, this conflict was a global, war even though it has often been referred to as the 'Forgotten War.' One needs to  consider that the former Soviet Union, as well as a newly formed Communist regime of the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), in addition to the Soviet puppet state  under the North Korean Communists (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea – D.P.R.K.), all took part in fighting to take over South Korea. This Communist triad of nations was aligned against the joint military forces of the participating nations of the United Nations. The conflict, though limited to the nation of Korea, represented a definitive global confrontation. It could have mushroomed into World War III.

This surprise attack came with the blessings of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union

At 4:00 a.m., on June 25, 1950, Kim Il Sung's D.P.R.K. government in North Korea launched a surprise invasion of South Korea. This surprise attack came with the blessings of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union. It caught the United States and the Free World off guard. Not many in the West foresaw the unprovoked invasion,  and most were stunned as the North Korean military thrust across the artificially imposed demarcation boundary on the Korean peninsula. The world could only watch as North Korean forces swarmed into South Korea in an attempt to 're-unify' Korea and establish another 'communist utopia.'  The actions of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union, in such a premeditated invasion and deliberate destruction of life and property, revealed the true nature of "Uncle Joe" and the Communists more clearly. There was supreme irony in such actions since the Soviet Union was a member of the United Nations and a preeminent member of the Security Council. Stalin had secretly initiated an unprovoked attack upon a defenseless member nation, which was entirely counter to the charter of the U.N.  Despite progressive-revisionist "scholars" who attempted to reverse the truth of Stalin's efforts in initiating the invasion and shove the blame onto Kim Il Sung, the fact remains that planning went on for months between the U.S.S.R., the P.R.C., and the D.P.R.K. for such an offensive. What many in the Free World did not know at this point in time, was that Joseph Stalin felt confident to advance the Communist plans in Korea after he had trained and installed Kim Il Sung as the dictator in the north following WWII, and after China fell to Mao. And although Kim Il Sung may have been extremely determined to gain control of the South, he needed Stalin's approval to invade. Ironically, on January 12, 1950, Secretary of State Acheson, a key figure in shaping the Truman Doctrine of containment, had delivered an impromptu speech at the National Press Club in which he did not include Korea within the U.S. Pacific defense line. It was this speech critics claimed that opened the door for Stalin to believe the U.S. would not do anything if South Korea were invaded – it may have been interpreted as "easy pickings," possibly similar to Putin's assessment of the invasion of the Ukraine.    More amazingly, in a testimony before Congress in early June, Dean Rusk, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, had assured lawmakers that there was no likelihood of aggression in Korea. However, there was reason for concern as the previous year, in October of 1949, nationalist China, one of the original allies fighting against the tyrannical Axis powers during World War II, had fallen under the Communist forces of Mao Zedong and his People's Army.

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Soviet deployment of war machines and fuel, as well as other war materials stockpiled

Also, by May of 1950, Kim Il Sung had met with Chairman Mao, and although Mao had concerns that the United States may interfere with the communist plans, he agreed to support the D.P.R.K. invasion for several reasons. Initially, Kim sent thousands of North Koreans after WWII to support Mao Zedong during the Chinese Revolution. Also, the People's Republic of China viewed the U.S. as the most serious threat to its survival. Mao's commitment was important as a back-up, similar to Kaiser Wilhelm's back-up of Austria-Hungary's designs to invade Serbia, which led to World War I. Once Mao's support was solidified, through Kim Il Sung's assurances to Mao that Stalin approved   of the plan, North Korean preparations for war intensified.  American forces, previously stationed in South Korea, completed a withdrawal by June of 1949. Then, experienced Soviet generals from WWII were sent as advisors to the North Koreans. By May of 1950, they had completed plans for the ensuing attack. This was after the training of the North Korean People's Army (the Inmun Gun), the Soviet deployment of war machines and fuel, as well as other war materials stockpiled.  On that fateful weekend day in June, 1950, the President of the United States, Harry Truman, was visiting his home in Independence, Missouri. Since time in Korea is 18 hours prior to Missouri time, it was Saturday evening when the president received a phone call from U.S. Secretary of State, Dean Acheson. He informed Truman of the invasion. In the moment, Truman was reportedly ready to return to Washington, D.C., but Acheson told him that the Commander-in-Chief should get some sleep, and the Secretary would provide relevant updates. The following Sunday afternoon in Missouri, a second call from Acheson that prompted Truman to immediately fly back to D.C.  In New York City by that time, the United Nations had held an emergency session to decide how to respond. The Security Council took decisive action. On June 27, 1950, four permanent member nations of the Security Council voted to unanimously condemn the North Korean invasion of South Korea, and passed Resolution 82, which requested troops from member nations to assist the Republic of Korea to defend their own freedom. President Truman ultimately decided to support U.N. Resolution 82.

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The war ripped the nation apart and left a humble people divided in a surreal separation that has affected several generations of Koreans to this day

Before the Communist invasion, it had been less than five years since one of the most destructive and violent wars in human history had been ended. Some had assumed that the world would have had enough of war. The original vision of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, in conceiving the ideals of the United Nations, was rooted in the principles of the Atlantic Charter, which declared that peace was a foundational goal of the U.N.   "…they hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their own boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all men in all lands may live out their lives in freedom…" But, Communists sought their own ideals. Unfortunately, Truman and the United Nations were able to accomplish only a partial preservation of the freedoms of South Koreans. Once upon a time, Korea was one nation. The war ripped the nation apart and left a humble people divided in a surreal separation that has affected several generations of Koreans to this day. Today, Korea is still divided; it represents a physical manifestation of the division between the Western nations' pursuit of freedom and the Communist nations' pursuit of dominion.  However, despite the current conditions of a war-torn world, people still yearn to be free. Hope has manifested in an international effort initiated by Koreans who seek genuine peaceful unification to the division of their nation. The "One Korea' movement is attempting to generate hope and reestablish a unified Korea. More power to peace in such a time as this.