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Korean War Facts

Tadashi

Written by Tadashi

Modified & Updated: 22 Sep 2024

Jessica Corbett

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Expert Verified Editorial Guidelines
North Korea and South Korea flag

Today, no fighting takes place on the Korean Peninsula. Even so, troops stare warily at each other from the two sides of the 38th Parallel line, separating North Korea and South Korea, while their allies and the rest of the world look on in fear of the fighting to erupt once again. Learn more about this tension with these 100 Korean War facts.

Quick Facts
Essential Facts
Interesting Facts
  1. Historians estimated between 2 and 3 million civilians died during the Korean War.
  2. Of those, an estimated 1.6 million came from North Korea alone.
  3. The Allies sent an estimated 2 million men against an estimated 3 million Communist troops.
  4. An estimated 600,000 Allied troops died during the Korean War.
  5. The Communists also lost an estimated 700,000 troops during the Korean War.
  1. Japan had ruled Korea as a colony from 1910 to 1945.
  2. After WWII, the Allies divided Korea along the 38th Parallel.
  3. The Soviet Union oversaw the northern half of Korea, while the US oversaw the southern half.
  4. The Cold War saw the rise of Communism in North Korea.
  5. In contrast, the US established a capitalist state in South Korea.
  6. Both North and South Korea claimed legitimacy as the sole government for the peninsula.
  7. The Korean War began with an invasion from the north on June 25, 1950.
  8. China joined the war later that same year in October.
  9. The Soviet Union ultimately decided against joining the war.
  10. The fighting finally ended on July 27, 1953.
  1. North Korea lost an estimated 3,900 km² of territory to South Korea at the fighting’s end.
  2. The north’s lost territory includes the city of Sokcho.
  3. However, the north managed to gain the city of Kaesong.
  4. No less than 29 nations made up the Allied side of the Korean War.
  5. However, the US provided an estimated 90% of all Allied forces.
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