Jonathan Kim
Project Title: The Korean War: The Battle on the Peninsula
Thesis: Study of the Korean War is essential in that it reminds us that the state of the free world can be altered very quickly and that citizens of the free world must not take for granted hard fought gains even in previously unheard of lands, such as North and South Korea. This was more than a civil war between brothers. The United States which represented capitalistic ideals and the Soviet Union which backed communist ideals staked incredible amounts of resources and manpower to defend their beliefs in the strategic location that is the Koreas.
Relation to Theme/Historical Significance: The tensions of this war are still felt today as there has not been an official
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The U.S. and South Korea thought of the war as a direct violation of the peace that they once had between the borders.
Conclusion: The war created an official boundary at the 38th parallel that is heavily guarded by both North and South Korea today. But this agreement did not come easily as there were repeated changes in border definition in a tug of war fight. Since the Korean peninsula is relatively small, the border could have changed within days or even hours. To sum up, the Korean War was very violent. The death toll just for South Korean citizens was over 1,000,000. This left many orphans and children abandoned; they were left to fight and raise themselves.
Analysis: The Korean War almost united North and South Korea into communism. During the beginning of the war North Korean soldiers almost pushed the South down to a harbor. At another point, troops from the United Nations had almost pushed the North into Chinese borders. This war was just a big back and forth. Eventually, the war reached a stalemate. It came to the point where there was nothing further to gain for either side, and a ceasefire was called. The war created an official border that will never be crossed by anyone unless a full-blown war is wanted. It is good that the war ended the way it did. If North Korea had won and was able to conquer all of South Korea there would
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casualty was Private Kenneth Shadrick
July 10, 1951 - Truce talks begin in Kaesong
October 8, 1952 - Truce talks adjourned due to rising tensions between the North and U.S.
April 26, 1953 - Truce talks once again resumed, Communists, choose to agree to voluntary repatriation (return of refugees to origin country)
July 27, 1953 - The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), the Chinese People’s Volunteers, and the United Nations sign an armistice that included a building of a DMZ (demilitarized zone) that is 2,200 yards from the actual 38th parallel. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) refuses to sign the armistice but hostilities cease within 12 hours of the armistice being