KOREA

After the defeat of Japan at the end of W.W.II the United States and the Soviet Union sent troops to occupy Korea. The country was divided at the 38th parallel with steward ship of the North going to Russia and the South going to the Americans. In 1948 the Soviet Union set up a People's Democratic Republic and the US helped establish the Republic of South Korea.(46)

In 1949 the US began to pull out of Korea and began forming policy on South East Asia. In a conference describing this plan on Jan 12 1950, then Secretary of State Dean Acheson neglected Korea by arguing that "The initial reliance must be on the people attacked to resist it and then upon the commitments of the entire civilized world under the Charter of the United Nations."

This gave Kim Il-sung a preverbal green light to take control of South Korea. Come June 25th 1950 that is exactly what they did. Within three days Seoul was captured.

On June 30th the UN Security Council condemns the action and Truman pledged American support. On September 15th 1950 the American Forces landed at Inchon. The rest is history.(47)

 

 

 

 

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