http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when communist North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States, fighting under United Nations command, would lose more than 36,000 soldiers in one of the first clashes of the Cold War. en Copyright 2013, History.com Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT History.com 2013-05-24T04:00:00Z en Copyright 2013, History.com http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo1 Following World War II, the Korean peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel, with the creation of communist-backed North Korea and the anti-communist Republic of South Korea. On June 25, 1950, North invaded South, leading to the outbreak of the Korean War. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo1 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo2 Kim Il-Sung ruled North Korea from its creation in 1948 until his death in 1994. Installed with the support of the Soviet Union, he led his country into the Korean War in an effort to unite the Korean peninsula under communist rule. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo2 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo3 Rhee was elected the first president of South Korea in 1948 and led his nation during the Korean War. His authoritarian regime clamped down on all forms of dissent. Rhee was ultimately forced to resign and flee the country in 1960. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo3 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo4 MacArthur was appointed commander-in-chief of U.N. forces at the outset of the Korean War. However, he openly disagreed with official U.S. policy, and in April 1951, President Truman removed him from command, igniting a storm of controversy. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo4 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo5 At the start of the Korean War, the P-51 Mustang was the primary aircraft of the United Nations forces. Within a few years, the Mustang and other World War II-era propeller planes had been superseded by a new breed of jet fighters. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo5 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo6 In October 1950, communist China entered the Korean conflict, sending thousands of soldiers across the Yalu River. The People's Volunteer Army, or PVA, won a series of victories, demoralizing U.N. troops and forcing them back across the 38th parallel into South Korea. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo6 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo7 American movie actress Marilyn Monroe entertains a group of soldiers in Korea. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo7 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo8 On September 15, 1950, General MacArthur launched a surprise amphibious assault at the port of Inchon, South Korea, resulting in a decisive U.N. victory over the invading North Koreans. Within weeks, U.N. and South Korean forces had captured Seoul and cut off vital North Korean supply lines. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo8 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo9 Following the 1951 dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur, General James Van Fleet assumed command of the U.S. 8th Army. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo9 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo10 After two years of negotiations, a ceasefire agreement was reached in July 1953. The Korean border remained near its prewar location along the 38th parallel, with a demilitarized zone (DMZ) formally separating North and South. No formal truce was ever signed. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo10 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo11 Twenty-one American soldiers refused to return to America at the end of the Korean War. The sign on the truck reads: "We Stay for Peace." They moved to China; by the 1960s, all but two had returned home. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo11 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo12 Dwight Eisenhower campaigned on a pledge to end the Korean War and traveled to the region shortly after his election in 1952. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo12 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo13 A view from the bows of the USS Missouri as the main batteries (16-inch guns) fire on enemy targets off North Korea. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo13 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo14 A major roadblock to peace negotiations designed to end the conflict was the return of prisoners of war. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo14 http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo15 More than 36,000 Americans were killed in action in the Korean War. http://www.history.com/photos/korean-war/photo15