North Invades South: Korean War Begins
North Korean People's Army forces crossed the 38th parallel on June 25, 1950, invading South Korea with 75,000 troops supported by Soviet-supplied T-34 tanks. The South Korean army, lacking tanks and heavy weapons, was quickly overwhelmed. Seoul fell on June 28. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution authorizing military force to repel the invasion, with the Soviet Union unable to veto because it was boycotting the Council over China's representation. General Douglas MacArthur's daring amphibious landing at Inchon on September 15 cut North Korean supply lines and recaptured Seoul. The advance to the Chinese border provoked China's intervention with 300,000 troops in November, pushing the front back to the 38th parallel. The war killed over three million people and ended with an armistice in 1953 that remains in effect; no peace treaty has ever been signed.
June 25, 1950
76 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on June 25
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