The year 2000 marks the 50'" anniversary of North Korea's invasion of South Korea. After the Japanese surrender on August 14, 1945, the War Department and the State Department decided to divide the Korean peninsula in half, leaving the Soviets to occupy Korea north of the 38^th parallel and an American occupation force south of the line.

In the spring of 1948, the U.N. General Assembly resolved that the Korean people would elect one national assembly for the whole country South Koreans participated in a U.N. supervised election that selected members of the National Assembly. The Republic of Korea (ROK) was formally established on August 14, 1948. Soviet authorities prohibited an election in the North and refused to permit the W.N. Election commission to enter North Korea. Instead, the northern half of Korea held separate elections in the fall of 1948, establishing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and inaugurating Kim II Sung as its new president.

In 1949, the Chinese communists won the civil war in China. This success emboldened Kim II Sung to make several trips to Moscow to persuade Stalin to support reunification of Korea by force. The Soviets provided essential logistical support and technical advisors for the invasion force. On June 1950, the North Korean Army attacked across the 38'h parallel to unify the peninsula.

The United States considered this an act of aggression, and requested the United Nations take immediate action. The U.N. Security Council responded by passing a resolution, which called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of all North Korean forces to the 38'h parallel. During two years of peace talks, opposing forces remained locked in inconclusive combat.

On July 27, 1953, representatives for the United States and North Korea signed the Military Armistice agreement. The government of South Korea refused to sign the agreement because a permanently divided Korea was unacceptable. In the absence of a political settlement, this agreement continues to regulate the de facto boundary between the two Koreas. Today, there is still no official peace.

From the Korean War 50th Anniversary homepagewww.korea50.army.mil