OH+Research

**Interview Subject: Saemok Lee (Hawoon's Grandfather)**
 * Oral History Topic: The Korean War**

__** Research Notes **__ - In 1948 South Korea created a democratic government and named it Republic of Korea. - North Korea created Democratic People's Republic of Korea with the support of Russia. - The two governments had conflicts and they both wanted to dominate the naion so they built up forces across the 38th parell - South Korean troops were less experienced and it was a agriculture-based country - After North Korea led a surprise attack, the U.N got involved and sent in troops for the South. -The Korean War officially began in June 1950 when North Korea (filled with Russian supplies) attacked South Korea - U.N wanted to have a nation election to unify the nation, but because Soviet Russia imposed, this did not happen -As a result of the Korean War, the United Nations became an international arbiter
 * Koreanwar.org:**

-After Japan surrendered to the Allies in World War II, both the Soviet Union and the United States occupied Korea and they split the country along the 38th parallel. They were intending on rejoining the halves but they didn't after tensions rose between the USSR and the U.S.
 * The Korean War Notes ABC-Clio:**

-Korea had been a Japanese nation for half a century until Japan surrendered to the Allies at the end of World War II, and a Communist government in North Korea was aided by Soviet troops and American troops supported the noncommunist democratic leader in South Korea. These were separated by the 38th parallel. -The war began in June 1950 when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. The United Nations provided forces from sixteen different nations to help the United States. General Douglas MacArthur was the commander of the UN forces. -The North Korean forces pushed South Koreans all the way down to Pusan on the Southern tip of the Korean peninsula. General MacArthur landed UN troops at Inchon, surrounding the North Koreans from the North and South. They eventually fled across the 38th parallel. -General MacArthur got the okay from President Truman and the UN to follow the North Koreans northward beyond the 38th parallel. The South Korean forces pushed the North Koreans all the way toward the Yalu River which separated North Korea from China. -Chinese leaders warned to the UN forces to stop or else they would enter the war, but the UN forces continued toward the Yalu River. On November 25, 1950, "hundreds of thousands of Chinese Communist troops" attacked across the Yalu River into North Korea. -The Chinese pushed the UN troops back to South Korea and the boundary still remained the 38th parallel. -After President Truman refused to allow General MacArthur to blockade China's coast-line and bomb China and he continued to try to gain support for his plan, President Truman fired General MacArthur. At first, Americans didn't agree with this decision, treating the general as a hero when he returned home, but they eventually thought it was the right choice. -Truce talks with the Soviet Union began in July 1951 and continued for two years. When Eisenhower became president, he agreed with North Korea and China to end the war and a cease-fire ended the fighting in July 1953. The 38th parallel remained the border between the two nations and it still exists today.
 * The Korean War Notes Creating America:**

__** Oral History Research Paragraphs **__

After World War II, the Japanese surrendered to the Allies, giving up Korea, the nation they had controlled for almost half a century. The Soviet Union began to assist North Korea in creating a Communist government while the United States was supporting South Korea in creating a noncommunist government. With these extremely different types of government being created in the same country, the nation became split along the 38th parallel. On June 25th, 1950, the Korean War began when North Korean Communist forces crossed the 38th parallel loaded with Russian supplies and entered South Korea. The United States quickly called for and received help from the United Nations, who gathered troops from sixteen different nations to assist the U.S in combat. The commander of the United Nations forces became General MacArthur, a man who also played a prominent role in World War II. North Korean troops pushed the South Koreans all the way down to Pusan, a city located on the Southern tip of the Korean peninsula. Taking a huge risk, General MacArthur decided to land the UN forces at Inchon, a South Korean city north of Pusan, this way surrounding the North Korean troops from the south and north. The risk paid off when the North Koreans fled across the 38th parallel, and with approval from President Truman, the UN forces followed the North Koreans northward beyond the 38th parallel. The United Nations troops pushed the North Korean Communist troops towards the Yalu River which separated Korea from China. Chinese leaders warned that if the UN forces continued approaching the Yalu River, they would intervene. Disregarding these warnings, the United Nations forces were attacked across the Yalu River into North Korea on November 25th, 1950 by "hundreds of thousands of Chinese Communist troops." Eventually the Chinese pushed the South Koreans southward beyond the 38th parallel out of North Korea.

After returning to South Korea, General MacArthur proposed a plan in which the UN forces would blockade China's coast-line and bomb China. Even though President Truman refused action of his plan, General MacArthur continued to seek support for it. President Truman did not like MacArthur going against his will, so he was fired by the president. In July 1951, the Soviet Union began truce talks with the United States which continued for 2 years. When Dwight Eisenhower became president, he agreed to a cease-fire which ended the fighting in July 1953. Despite the peace between the North Korea and South Korea, the 38th parallel boundary between them remained and still exists today.

Cited Sources:

1. "War in Korea (Overview)." // American History //. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 1 June 2011.

2. "Korean War project." //Korean war// n. pag. Web. 2 Jun 2011. .

3. //Creating America//. California: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. , 1995. Print.