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Korea was a single state from ancient times until 1910, when it was annexed by Japan. Japanese colonisation led to the loss of national sovereignty, exploitation of resources, oppression of the people and suppression of Korean culture. For 35 years, the Koreans resisted Japanese domination and sought independence. In 1945, after Japan's defeat in World War II, Korea was liberated, but immediately became the object of division between the United States and the USSR, which entered Korea from the south and north, respectively. According to the agreement between the two superpowers, Korea was divided according to the 38th parallel into two occupation zones, which were to be united after the general elections under the auspices of the UN. However, due to increased tensions of the Cold War and disagreements over the organisation of elections, plans for Korean reunification were thwarted. In 1948, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was proclaimed in the northern zone with a communist regime under the leadership of Kim Il-sung, and in the southern zone - the Republic of Korea (RK) with an anti-communist regime under the leadership of Seungman Ri. Both sides claimed the entire Korean peninsula and did not recognise each other. Thus, Korea was actually divided into two opposing states.

In 1950, North Korea, counting on the support of the USSR and China, decided to militarily unite Korea under its rule and invaded South Korea. This action caused a sharp reaction from the UN, which condemned North Korea's aggression and adopted a resolution on the creation of an international force under the leadership of the United States to help South Korea. Thus began the Korean War, which was the first armed conflict of the Cold War and one of the bloodiest in the history of mankind.

The course of the Korean conflict

The Korean War lasted three years, from 1950 to 1953, and took place in three stages: the North Korean offensive, the counteroffensive of the UN forces and the stalemate.

The first stage lasted from June to September 1950. North Korea, having superiority in numbers and weapons, quickly moved south and captured most of South Korea's territory, including the capital Seoul. The UN forces, consisting mainly of American troops, found themselves in a difficult situation and retreated to the southeast of the peninsula, where they fortified themselves in the Busan area. North Korea tried to finally defeat the UN forces, but failed to break through their defences.

The second stage lasted from September to November 1950. The UN forces, having received reinforcements and regrouped, went on a counteroffensive. They conducted a landing operation in Incheon, a port on the west coast of Korea, and landed in the rear of North Korean troops. This led to the collapse of the North Korean front and its retreat to the north. UN forces regained control of Seoul and crossed the 38th parallel, invading North Korea. They advanced to the Yalu River, the border between Korea and China, and tried to overthrow Kim Il-sung's regime. However, in October 1950, China, fearing a threat to its security and sovereignty, intervened in the war and sent hundreds of thousands of volunteers to Korea. Chinese troops dealt a crushing blow to UN forces and forced them to retreat to the other.

Thanks to the coordinated strikes of China and Korean troops, they were able to push them back to more or less pre-military positions and this helped to significantly strengthen the position of North Korea, so the war raged for 2 more years, which did not yield any results, as a result of which a peace treaty was signed between the two countries.

According to research by Astana International University, a group of students led by Beskemer Akerke concluded that this peace treaty is more of a truce and that further conflict and crisis on the peninsula is inevitable.

Astana International University 2023