231-667: The Great Naktong Offensive was a North Korean military offensive against United Nations Command (UN) forces early in the Korean War , taking place from September 1–15, 1950. It was the North Korean Korean People's Army (KPA)'s unsuccessful final bid to break the Pusan Perimeter established by the UN forces. For the first several months of the war, the KPA defeated and pushed back
462-580: A United Nations Environmental Programme report in 2003, forest covers over 70 percent of the country, mostly on steep slopes. North Korea had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 8.02/10, ranking it 28th globally out of 172 countries. The longest river is the Amnok (Yalu) River which flows for 790 kilometers (491 mi). The country contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Central Korean deciduous forests , Changbai Mountains mixed forests , and Manchurian mixed forests . North Korea experiences
693-528: A carpet bombing of a 27 sq mi (70 km ) rectangular area on the west side of the Naktong River opposite the ROK 1st Division. Intelligence estimates placed the greatest concentrations of enemy troops in this area, some estimates being as high as four KPA divisions and several armored regiments, totalling 40,000 men, who were reportedly using the area to stage their attack on Taegu. General Gay, commanding
924-510: A détente developed. A series of summits took place between Kim Jong Un of North Korea, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, and President Trump. On 10 January 2021, Kim Jong Un was formally elected as the General Secretary in 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea , a title previously held by Kim Jong Il. On 24 March 2022, North Korea conducted a successful ICBM test launch for
1155-937: A humid continental climate within the Köppen climate classification scheme. Winters bring clear weather interspersed with snow storms as a result of northern and northwestern winds that blow from Siberia . Summer tends to be by far the hottest, most humid, and rainiest time of year because of the southern and southeastern monsoon winds that carry moist air from the Pacific Ocean . Approximately 60 percent of all precipitation occurs from June to September. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons between summer and winter. The daily average high and low temperatures for Pyongyang are −3 and −13 °C (27 and 9 °F) in January and 29 and 20 °C (84 and 68 °F) in August. North Korea functions as
1386-570: A hydrogen bomb and a missile capable of reaching the United States. Throughout 2017, following Donald Trump 's ascension to the US presidency, tensions between the United States and North Korea increased, and there was heightened rhetoric between the two, with Trump threatening "fire and fury" if North Korea ever attacked U.S. territory amid North Korean threats to test missiles that would land near Guam . The tensions substantially decreased in 2018, and
1617-692: A " military first " policy which prioritizes the Korean People's Army in state affairs and the allocation of resources. It possesses nuclear weapons . Its active-duty army of 1.28 million soldiers is the fourth-largest in the world. In addition to being a member of the United Nations since 1991, North Korea is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement , G77 , and the ASEAN Regional Forum . The modern spelling of Korea first appeared in 1671 in
1848-635: A climax inside P'ohang-dong. The ROK division commander, Brigadier General Lee Jun Shik and several members of his senior staff claimed they became sick after their command post was hit with artillery fire. The division withdrew from P'ohang-dong, and on September 6 it was again in KPA hands. The ROK command relieved both the ROK I Corps and 3rd Division commanders. At this time new commanders were appointed for these major commands. Brigadier General Kim Paik Il took command of ROK I Corps, while Capital Division came under command of Colonel Song Yo Ch'an, and 3rd Division came under command of Colonel Lee Jong Ch'an. In
2079-428: A cult of personality closely tied to the state philosophy of Juche, which was later passed on to his successors: his son Kim Jong Il in 1994 and grandson Kim Jong Un in 2011. In 2013, Clause 2 of Article 10 of the newly edited Ten Fundamental Principles of the Workers' Party of Korea stated that the party and revolution must be carried "eternally" by the "Mount Paektu Bloodline". According to New Focus International ,
2310-495: A direct hit with a 155mm howitzer , but it was not seriously damaged. Through the middle of August, KPA forces relentlessly attacked the sectors occupied by the ROK 13th Regiment and the US 5th Cavalry Regiment. This assault, together with increasingly heavy pressure against the main force of the ROK 1st Division in the Tabu-dong area, began to endanger the UN control of Taegu. On August 16, 750 South Korean police were stationed on
2541-549: A heart attack in 1994 ; Kim Jong Il declared a three-year period of national mourning, afterward officially announcing his position as the new leader. North Korea promised to halt its development of nuclear weapons under the Agreed Framework , negotiated with U.S. president Bill Clinton and signed in 1994. Building on Nordpolitik , South Korea began to engage with the North as part of its Sunshine Policy . Kim Jong Il instituted
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#17328593247162772-528: A highly centralized, one-party totalitarian dictatorship. According to its constitution , it is a self-described revolutionary and socialist state "guided in its building and activities only by great Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism". In addition to the constitution, North Korea is governed by the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System (also known as the "Ten Principles of
3003-735: A leader of the Non-Aligned Movement and promoting the ideology of Juche . In United States policymaking, North Korea was considered among the Captive Nations . Despite its efforts to break out of the Soviet and Chinese spheres of influence, North Korea remained closely aligned with both countries throughout the Cold War. Industry was the favored sector in North Korea. Industrial production returned to pre-war levels by 1957. In 1959, relations with Japan had improved somewhat, and North Korea began allowing
3234-593: A number of its embassies. At the same time, North Korea sought to build relations with developed free market countries. North Korea joined the United Nations in 1991 together with South Korea . North Korea is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement , G77 and the ASEAN Regional Forum . As of 2015 , North Korea had diplomatic relations with 166 countries and embassies in 47 countries. North Korea does not have diplomatic relations with Argentina , Botswana , Estonia , France , Iraq , Israel , Japan , Taiwan ,
3465-669: A patrol from the 21st Infantry Regiment , 24th Infantry Division, which was moving north and trying to establish contact with the 7th Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of the Naktong Bulge occurring simultaneously to the south. Further north, the 25th Regiment started crossing the Naktong around 03:00 on August 12, in the vicinity of Tuksong-dong, on the Koryong-Taegu road. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, covered this crossing site, which
3696-443: A platoon of US tanks tried to reach G Company, but was unable to penetrate the KPA force that was surrounding Hill 303. Later that day, B Company and the tanks tried again to retake the hill, now estimated to contain a 700-man battalion. The 61st Field Artillery Battalion and elements of the 82nd Field Artillery Battalion, fired on the hill during the day. During the night, G Company succeeded in escaping from Hill 303. Before dawn on
3927-455: A policy called Songun , or "military first". Flooding in the mid-1990s exacerbated the economic crisis, severely damaging crops and infrastructure and leading to widespread famine that the government proved incapable of curtailing, resulting in the deaths of between 240,000 and 420,000 people. Which led many North Koreans to flee into China, South Korea and neighboring countries. In China, these illegal North Korea child immigrants are called
4158-550: A policy of "strategic patience", resisting making deals with North Korea. Tensions with South Korea and the United States increased in 2010 with the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and North Korea's shelling of Yeonpyeong Island . On 17 December 2011, Kim Jong Il died from a heart attack . His youngest son Kim Jong Un was announced as his successor. In the face of international condemnation, North Korea continued to develop its nuclear arsenal, possibly including
4389-498: A position in the rear of the 8th Cavalry and the 1st Cavalry Division organized Task Force Allen , to be commanded by Assistant Division Commander Brigadier General Frank A. Allen, Jr. It was to be used in combat as an emergency force should the KPA break through to the edge of Taegu. Eighth Army countered the KPA advance down the Tabu-dong road by ordering the 1st Cavalry Division to recapture and defend Hill 902. This hill, 10 miles (16 km) north of Taegu, afforded observation all
4620-452: A prefabricated crossing site, the 25th and 27th Regiments of the KPA 10th Division suffered crippling losses. The 7th Cavalry estimated that of 1,700 KPA troops that had succeeded in crossing the river, 1,500 had been killed. Two days after the battle, H Company reported it had buried 267 KPA dead behind its lines. In front of its position, G Company counted 150 KPA dead. In contrast, G Company suffered only two men killed and three wounded during
4851-453: A result of the war, almost every substantial building in North Korea was destroyed. Some have referred to the conflict as a civil war, with other factors involved. A heavily guarded demilitarized zone (DMZ) still divides the peninsula, and an anti-communist and anti-North Korea sentiment remains in South Korea. Since the war, the United States has maintained a strong military presence in
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#17328593247165082-438: A result of their failures to defend effectively thus far in the conflict, and a cautious US Eighth Army commander Lieutenant General Walton Walker ordered Major General John B. Coulter to the P'ohang-dong area to shore up the ROK I Corps , which was falling apart due to low morale. UN troops were preparing for Operation Chromite , an amphibious assault on the port of Inchon on September 15, and did not anticipate that
5313-410: A result, 65% of Korea's heavy industry was located in the north, but, due to the rugged terrain, only 37% of its agriculture. Northern Korea had little exposure to modern, Western ideas. One partial exception was the penetration of religion. Since the arrival of missionaries in the late nineteenth century, the northwest of Korea, and Pyongyang in particular, had been a stronghold of Christianity. As
5544-741: A result, Pyongyang was called the "Jerusalem of the East". A Korean guerrilla movement emerged in the mountainous interior and in Manchuria, harassing the Japanese imperial authorities. One of the most prominent guerrilla leaders was the Communist Kim Il Sung . After the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, the Korean Peninsula was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel , with
5775-590: A special statement addressed to the ROK, and meant also for the South Korean Minister of Defense , Shin Sung-mo . He called on the ROK troops to hold their lines in the Pusan Perimeter, and implored the rest of the UN troops to defend their ground as firmly as possible, counterattacking as necessary to prevent the KPA from consolidating their gains. At the same time, elements of the KPA 5th Division penetrated
6006-499: A spoiling attack against the North Koreans northwest of Taegu, Gay ordered the 7th Cavalry to attack on September 2 and seize Hill 518. Situated north of the lateral Waegwan-Tabu–dong road, and about midway between the two towns, it was a critical terrain feature dominating the road between the two places. After securing Hill 518, the 7th Cavalry attack was to continue on to Hill 346. Air strikes and artillery preparations were to precede
6237-432: A total of only 3,600 men, it penetrated in four days to the lateral corridor at Yongch'on. North of the town, one regiment of the ROK 8th Division crumbled when a T-34 tank got behind its lines. Elements of the KPA division were in and south of Yongch'on by September 6. The KPA did not remain in the town, but moved to the hills south and southeast of it overlooking the road between Taegu and P'ohang-dong. On September 7 some of
6468-511: Is Paektu Mountain , a volcanic mountain with an elevation of 2,744 meters (9,003 ft) above sea level. Considered a sacred place by North Koreans, Mount Paektu holds significance in Korean culture and has been incorporated in the elaborate folklore and personality cult around the Kim family. For example, the song, "We Will Go To Mount Paektu" sings in praise of Kim Jong Un and describes a symbolic trek to
6699-619: Is formed by the Yellow Sea , while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan . North Korea, like its southern counterpart , claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands . Pyongyang is the capital and largest city. The Korean Peninsula was first inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in
6930-402: Is the cornerstone of party works and government operations. Juche , part of the larger Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism along with Songun under Kim Jong Un, is viewed by the official North Korean line as an embodiment of Kim Il Sung's wisdom, an expression of his leadership, and an idea which provides "a complete answer to any question that arises in the struggle for national liberation". Juche
7161-404: Is the ruling party of North Korea. According to Article 3 of the constitution, Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is the official ideology of North Korea. The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises and collectivized farms . Most services—such as healthcare , education , housing , and food production —are subsidized or state-funded. North Korea follows Songun ,
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7392-455: The 15th Field Artillery Battalion as he deemed advisable. These units, held at Yonil Airfield for its defense, had not previously been available for commitment elsewhere. During the day on September 3, Coulter and the KMAG advisers continued to clash with the ROK 3rd Division commander, who repeatedly attempted to withdraw his troops against their orders. That night, September 3/4, the remainder of
7623-505: The 38th parallel , with the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south occupied by the United States . In 1948, separate governments were formed in Korea: the socialist and Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the capitalist, Western-aligned Republic of Korea in the south. North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950 started the Korean War . In 1953,
7854-435: The 3rd Division , 13th Division, 1st Division , 8th Division , 15th Division , 12th Division and 5th Division with the 17th Armored Brigade in support. This force numbered approximately 97,850 men, although a third of it comprised raw recruits, forced conscripts from South Korea, and lacked weapons and equipment. By August 31 they were facing a UN force of 120,000 combat troops plus 60,000 support troops. On August 20,
8085-407: The Battle of Osan on July 5 in the first encounter between US and KPA troops. For the first month after the defeat at Osan, the 24th Division was repeatedly pushed back and forced southeastward by larger numbers of KPA troops equipped with rugged Soviet-made T-34 tanks . The troops of the 24th Division were systematically pushed southeast in the Battle of Chochiwon , the Battle of Chonan , and
8316-503: The Battle of Pyongtaek , as well as in smaller engagements. The 24th Division made a desperate stand against the KPA in the Battle of Taejon , where it was badly battered, but it delayed the KPA advance until July 20. By that time, the Eighth Army's force of combat troops was roughly equal in numbers to KPA forces attacking the Pusan Perimeter, with new UN forces arriving from America, Australia, New Zealand, etc., nearly every day. With
8547-685: The Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). In 1897, King Gojong proclaimed the Korean Empire , which was annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1910. From 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was under Japanese rule . Most Koreans were peasants engaged in subsistence farming . In the 1930s, Japan developed mines, hydro-electric dams, steel mills, and manufacturing plants in northern Korea and neighboring Manchuria . The Korean industrial working class expanded rapidly, and many Koreans went to work in Manchuria. As
8778-513: The Kim family is the current Supreme Leader or Suryeong of North Korea. He heads all major governing structures: he is the general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs . His grandfather Kim Il Sung, the founder and leader of North Korea until his death in 1994, is the country's " eternal President ", while his father Kim Jong Il who succeeded Kim Il Sung as
9009-402: The Kim family . Amnesty International considers the country to have the worst human rights record in the world. Officially, North Korea is an "independent socialist state " which holds democratic elections ; however, outside observers have described the elections as unfair, uncompetitive, and pre-determined, in a manner similar to elections in the Soviet Union . The Workers' Party of Korea
9240-524: The Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire and established a demilitarized zone (DMZ), but no formal peace treaty has ever been signed. Post-war North Korea benefited greatly from economic aid and expertise provided by other Eastern Bloc countries. However, Kim Il Sung , North Korea's first leader, promoted his personal philosophy of Juche as the state ideology . Pyongyang's international isolation sharply accelerated from
9471-549: The Koryong area, and both mobilized for an attack. These two divisions crossed in the 1st Cavalry Division's sector. The KPA 3rd Division's 7th Regiment started crossing the Naktong at about 03:00 on August 9 near Noch'on, 2 mi (3 km) south of the Waegwan bridge. After discovering this crossing, units of the 5th Cavalry Regiment directed automatic-weapon fire against the KPA units and also called in pre-registered artillery fire on
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9702-769: The Kotjebi . In 1996, the government accepted UN food aid. The international environment changed once George W. Bush became U.S. President in 2001. His administration rejected South Korea's Sunshine Policy and the Agreed Framework. Bush included North Korea in his axis of evil in his 2002 State of the Union Address . The U.S. government accordingly treated North Korea as a rogue state , while North Korea redoubled its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. On 9 October 2006, North Korea announced it had conducted its first nuclear weapons test . U.S. President Barack Obama adopted
9933-510: The Naktong Bulge . What followed was two weeks of extremely brutal fighting as the two sides vied to control the routes into Pusan . Initially successful in some areas, the KPA were unable to hold their gains against the numerically and technologically superior UN force. The KPA, again stalled at the failure of this offensive, was outflanked by the Inchon landings on 15 September and on 16 September
10164-489: The Naktong River and assault the city. Five KPA divisions massed around the city preparing to cross the Naktong River and assault it from the north and west. Defending the city were the US 1st Cavalry Division and Republic of Korea Army (ROK) II Corps . In a series of engagements, each of the KPA divisions attempted to cross the Naktong and attack the defending forces. The success of these attacks varied, with attacks in
10395-522: The People's Republic of China . The UNC, led by the United States, intervened to defend the South, and rapidly advanced into North Korea. As they neared the border with China, Chinese forces intervened on behalf of North Korea, shifting the balance of the war again. Fighting ended on 27 July 1953, with an armistice that approximately restored the original boundaries between North and South Korea, but no peace treaty
10626-702: The South on 25 June 1950, and swiftly overran most of the country. The United Nations Command (UNC) was subsequently established following the UN Security Council 's recognition of North Korean aggression against South Korea. The motion passed because the Soviet Union , a close ally of North Korea and a member of the UN Security Council, was boycotting the UN over its recognition of the Republic of China rather than
10857-629: The United States , and Ukraine . Germany is unusual in maintaining a North Korean embassy. German Ambassador Friedrich Lohr says most of his time in North Korea involved facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and agricultural assistance to a population plagued by food shortages. North Korea enjoys a close relationship with China which is often called North Korea's closest ally. Relations were strained beginning in 2006 because of China's concerns about North Korea's nuclear program. Relations improved after Xi Jinping , General Secretary of
11088-545: The Walled City of Ka-san on the crest of Hill 902, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Tabu-dong. On September 3, therefore, the UN command lost both Tabu-dong and Hill 902, locally called Ka-san, the dominant mountain-top 10 miles (16 km) north of Taegu. This sudden surge of the KPA southward toward Taegu concerned Walker. The Eighth Army ordered an ROK battalion from the Taegu Replacement Training Center to
11319-527: The Yellow Sea and Korea Bay , and to its east lies Japan across the Sea of Japan . Early European visitors to Korea remarked that the country resembled "a sea in a heavy gale" because of the many successive mountain ranges that crisscross the peninsula. Some 80 percent of North Korea is composed of mountains and uplands, separated by deep and narrow valleys. All of the Korean Peninsula's mountains with elevations of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) or more are located in North Korea. The highest point in North Korea
11550-483: The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, when all Soviet aid was suddenly halted. An internal CIA study acknowledged various achievements of the North Korean government post-war: compassionate care for war orphans and children in general, a radical improvement in the status of women, free housing, free healthcare, and health statistics particularly in life expectancy and infant mortality that were comparable to even
11781-537: The military occupation of Japan was still in effect. Countries such as Australia , Canada , New Zealand , and the United Kingdom all quickly contributed naval ships in support of the UN action. The initial goal of the American armed forces was to support the remnants of the ROK in stemming the North Korean invasion (but only in the southeastern part of South Korea, around the major seaport of Pusan ) to prevent
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#173285932471612012-487: The 17th, troops from both the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, supported by A Company of the 70th Tank Battalion, attacked Hill 303, but heavy KPA mortar fire stopped them at the edge of Waegwan. During the morning, heavy artillery preparations pounded the KPA positions on the hill. At 14:00 an air strike came in, attacking the hill with napalm , conventional bombs, rockets and machine guns. The air strike and artillery bombardment were successful in pushing
12243-526: The 1972 July 4 South–North Joint Statement that established principles of working toward peaceful reunification. The talks ultimately failed because in 1973, South Korea declared its preference that the two Koreas should seek separate memberships in international organizations. The Soviet Union was dissolved on 26 December 1991, ending its aid and support to North Korea. In 1992, as Kim Il Sung's health began deteriorating, his son Kim Jong Il slowly began taking over various state tasks. Kim Il Sung died of
12474-538: The 1980s onwards as the Cold War came to an end. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 then brought about a sharp decline to the North Korean economy. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine with the population continuing to suffer from malnutrition. In 2024, the DPRK formally abandoned efforts to peacefully reunify Korea . North Korea is a totalitarian dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around
12705-518: The 1st Cavalry Division sector repulsed while attacks in the ROK sector were more successful. During the battle, KPA troops were able to surprise US troops on Hill 303 and capture them. Late in the battle, these US troops were machine gunned in the Hill 303 massacre . The UN forces were successful in driving most of the KPA off and the city was finally secured in the Battle of the Bowling Alley . Following
12936-498: The 1st Cavalry Division was G Company, 5th Cavalry Regiment. It held Hill 303, the furthest position on the Eighth Army's extreme right flank. For several days UN intelligence sources had reported heavy KPA concentrations across the Naktong opposite the ROK 1st Division. Early in the morning on August 14, a KPA regiment crossed the Naktong 6 mi (9.7 km) north of Waegwan into the ROK 1st Division sector through an underwater bridge. Shortly after midnight that night, ROK forces on
13167-431: The 1st Cavalry Division, repeatedly requested that the bombing include the area northeast of Waegwan. This request was denied because of fear that bombing there might cause casualties among the 1st Cavalry and ROK 1st Division troops. Stratemeyer did not think his aircraft could successfully carpet bomb an area larger than 3 mi (4.8 km) square but he complied with MacArthur's order anyway. At 11:58, on August 16,
13398-488: The 21st Infantry from the line northwest of P'ohang-dong and concentrate it in the vicinity of Kyongju. The 2nd Battalion had joined the regiment on August 31, but Coulter had held it in the task force's reserve at An'gang-ni. That battalion now took up a horseshoe-shaped defense position around the town, with some elements on high ground 2 miles (3.2 km) east where they protected the Kyongju to P'ohang-dong highway. The rest of
13629-506: The 25th to the north, were to make the assault crossing with the 27th Regiment in reserve. The 2nd Battalion, 29th Regiment, was the first unit of the division to cross the river. Its troops waded across undetected during the night of August 11/12, west of Hyongp'ung. It then occupied Hill 265, a northern spur of Hill 409, 2 mi (3.2 km) southwest of Hyongp'ung, and set up machine gun positions. The other two battalions followed it and occupied Hill 409. The KPA on Hill 409 soon ambushed
13860-435: The 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment , on September 4 attacked and captured Hill 303. The next day it had difficulty in holding the hill against counterattacks. By September 4 it had become clear that the KPA 3rd Division in front of the 5th and 7th Cavalry Regiments was also attacking, and despite continued air strikes, artillery preparations, and infantry efforts on Hill 518, it was infiltrating large numbers of its troops to
14091-548: The 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, on Hill 303 came under heavy attack and the battalion commander wanted to withdraw. This battalion suffered heavy casualties before it abandoned Hill 303 on the September 6 to the KPA. While G Company was trying to escape from Hill 464, the rest of the 2nd Battalion was cut off at the eastern base of Hill 380, to the south. Later in the day on September 7, the battalion received radio orders to withdraw by any route as soon as possible. It moved southwest into
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#173285932471614322-479: The 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, the night of September 2/3 on Hill 448 west of the Bowling Alley and 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Tabu-dong, and overran it. The overrun 2nd Battalion withdrew through the 3rd Battalion which had assembled hastily in a defensive position south of Tabu-dong. During the day, elements of the KPA 1st Division forced the 8th Cavalry I&R Platoon and a detachment of National Police from
14553-411: The 48th and 50th, departed from Kumch'on later and began crossing the Naktong between Indong and Waegwan before dawn of August 8, constructing underwater bridges for their vehicles. The KPA supported this crossing by direct tank fire from the western side of the river. These tanks next carried out their own river crossing during the day. The KPA 15th Division seized Hills 201 and 346 on the east side of
14784-476: The 5th Cavalry Regiment hold Hill 203 on September 12. Between midnight and 04:00 on September 13, the KPA attacked again and took Hill 203 from E Company, Hill 174 from L Company, and Hill 188 from B and F Companies. In an afternoon counterattack the regiment regained Hill 188 on the south side of the highway, but failed against Hills 203 and 174 on the north side. On the 14th, I Company again attacked Hill 174, which had by now changed hands seven times. In this action
15015-401: The 5th Cavalry finished securing Hill 268. The KPA 7th Regiment, 3rd Division had been destroyed on the hill. The 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry suffered 14 men killed and another 48 wounded in the two-day battle. About 1,000 men of the 7th Regiment had crossed the Naktong to Hill 268, and about 700 of them became casualties. Artillery and mortars had inflicted most of the crippling casualties on
15246-505: The 5th Cavalry sector. East of the 2nd Battalion, the KPA attacked the 1st Battalion in its new position on September 7 and overran the battalion aid station, killing four and wounding seven men. That night the 1st Battalion was attached to the 5th Cavalry Regiment. The rest of the 7th Cavalry Regiment moved to a point near Taegu in division reserve. During the night of September 7/8 the 5th Cavalry Regiment on division orders withdrew still farther below Waegwan to new defensive positions astride
15477-471: The 7th Cavalry sector and for diversionary attacks by two companies of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment , on the 7th Cavalry's right flank. This left the 8th Cavalry only one infantry company in reserve. The regiment's 1st Battalion was on the hill mass to the west of the Bowling Alley and north of Tabu-dong; its 2nd Battalion was astride the road. This planned attack against Hill 518 coincided with
15708-441: The 8th Division was the ROK 6th Division; in front of the 15th Division stood the ROK 8th Division. In ten days of fighting the KPA 8th Division gained only a few miles, and not until September 12 did it have possession of Hwajong-dong , 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Yongch'on. In this time it lost nearly all the 21 new T-34 tanks of the 17th Armored Brigade that were supporting it. Just below Hwajong-dong, mountains close in on
15939-597: The Allied Military Government . In April 1948, an uprising of the Jeju islanders was violently crushed. The South declared its statehood in May 1948 and two months later the ardent anti-communist Syngman Rhee became its ruler. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established in the North on 9 September 1948. Shtykov served as the first Soviet ambassador, while Kim Il Sung became premier. Soviet forces withdrew from
16170-523: The Capital and 3rd Divisions, the US 21st Infantry Regiment , the 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment and the 73rd Medium Tank Battalion, less C Company. Coulter designated these units Task Force Jackson and established his headquarters in the same building in Kyongju in which the ROK I Corps commander and the Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG) officers had their command post. Coulter
16401-680: The Chinese Communist Party and Chinese President visited North Korea in June 2019. North Korea continues to have strong ties with several Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam , Laos , Cambodia , and Indonesia . Relations with Malaysia were strained in 2017 by the assassination of Kim Jong-nam . North Korea has a close relationship with Russia and has voiced support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine . Battle of Taegu [REDACTED] United Nations The Battle of Taegu
16632-424: The KPA 13th and 1st Divisions made ready to press on downhill into Taegu they set up a roadblock which was repulsed the next day. Even though the 1st Cavalry Division fell back nearly everywhere on September 7, Walker ordered it and ROK II Corps to attack and seize Hill 902 and Ka-san. On the morning of September 8, an estimated 1,000 KPA soldiers were on Hill 570, 8 miles (13 km) north of Taegu, and Walker decided
16863-448: The KPA 15th Division arrived before Yongch'on and recaptured it. That afternoon the ROK 11th Regiment, 1st Division arrived from the Taegu front and counterattacked the KPA in and near the town. This action succeeded in clearing the KPA from most of Yongch'on, but some still held the railroad station southeast of it. Still others were an unknown distance southeast on the road toward Kyongju. In
17094-402: The KPA 3rd Division forced the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, to withdraw from Hill 345, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Waegwan. The KPA pressed forward and the 5th Cavalry was immediately locked in hard, seesaw fighting on Hills 203 and 174. The 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, before it left that sector to rejoin its regiment, finally captured the latter hill after four attacks. Only with difficulty did
17325-411: The KPA and began its withdrawal at 03:00 on September 6. The KPA quickly discovered that the 2nd Battalion was withdrawing and attacked it. In the vicinity of Hills 464 and 380 the battalion discovered at daybreak that it was virtually surrounded by KPA. Moving by itself and completely cut off from all other units, G Company, numbering only about 80 men, was hardest hit. On the division's left, meanwhile,
17556-455: The KPA command decided any attempt to flank the UN force was impossible thanks to the support of the UN naval forces. Instead, they opted to use a frontal attack to breach the perimeter and collapse it as the only hope of achieving success in the battle. Fed with intelligence from the Soviet Union the North Koreans were aware that the UN forces were building up along the Pusan Perimeter and that it must conduct an offensive soon or it could not win
17787-425: The KPA command was also concerned with the conduct of its troops and issued orders to limit killing of Prisoners of War. In the mountains northeast of Waegwan and Hill 303, the ROK 1st Division continued to suffer KPA attacks throughout mid-August. KPA pressure against the ROK 1st Division never ceased for long. Under the command of Brigadier General Paik Sun Yup , this division fought an extremely bloody defense of
18018-405: The KPA generals believing that such attacks would prevent UN forces from firing effectively and result in heavy casualties from friendly fire . The attacks caught UN planners and troops by surprise. By August 26, the UN troops thought they had destroyed the last serious threats to the perimeter, and anticipated the war ending by late November. ROK units, in the meantime, suffered from low morale as
18249-578: The KPA held the town and began advancing southward along the railroad. By 12:00 on September 4, KPA units had established roadblocks along the Kyongju-An'gang-ni road within 3 miles (4.8 km) of Kyongju. A 2 miles (3.2 km) gap existed between the ROK 3rd and Capital Divisions in the P'ohang-dong area. But the big break in the UN line was in the high mountain mass west of the Hyongsan valley and southwest of An'gang-ni. In this area northwest of Kyongju there
18480-454: The KPA lines. About 30 minutes after D Company had reached Hill 755, an estimated KPA battalion launched an attack down the slope running south to Hill 755 from the crest of Hill 902. The company turned back this attack. That night, KPA mortar and small arms fire harassed the company and there were several small probing KPA attacks. At dawn on September 5 the KPA attacked. The engineers repulsed this attack but suffered some casualties. Ammunition
18711-414: The KPA off the hill. After the strike, the infantry attacked up the hill at 15:30 unopposed and secured it by 16:30. The combined strength of E and F Companies on top of the hill was about sixty men. The artillery and the air attacks killed and wounded an estimated 500 enemy troops on Hill 303, with survivors fleeing in a complete rout. In regaining Hill 303 on August 17, the 5th Cavalry Regiment discovered
18942-441: The KPA penetration. This battalion moved from its bivouac area just outside Taegu, accompanied by five tanks of A Company, 71st Heavy Tank Battalion. This motorized force proceeded to the foot of Hill 268. Meanwhile, the 61st Field Artillery Battalion shelled the hill heavily. At about 12:00 the artillery fired a preparation on Hill 268, and the 1st Battalion next attacked it with orders to continue on southwest to Hill 154. Hill 268
19173-437: The KPA troops established a roadblock 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of Yongch'on, and other elements attacked a ROK regiment 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the town. During the day, however, the ROK 5th Regiment, 7th Division, attacking from the east along the lateral corridor, cleared Yongch'on itself of North Koreans and then went into a defensive position north of the town. But the next day, September 8, additional elements of
19404-536: The KPA would mount a serious offensive before then. The first KPA attack struck the UN right flank on the east coast. Although the KPA II Corps' general attack in the north and east was planned for September 2, the KPA 12th Division, now with a strength of 5,000 men, started to move forward from the mountains earlier than planned, from where it had reorganized after its defeat in the Kigye and P'ohang-dong area. The division
19635-573: The KPA, with General Kim Chaek in charge of the Front Headquarters. Beneath them were the II Corps in the east, commanded by Lieutenant General Kim Mu Chong , and I Corps in the west, under Lieutenant General Kim Ung . II Corps controlled the 10th Division , 2nd Division , 4th Division, 9th Division , 7th Division, 6th Division and 105th Armored Division , with the 16th Armored Brigade and 104th Security Brigade in support. I Corps commanded
19866-462: The Kigye area. At the same time, KPA pressure built up steadily north of P'ohang-dong, where the KPA 5th Division fed replacements on to Hill 99 in front of the ROK 23rd Regiment. This hill became almost as notorious as Hill 181 near Yongdok had earlier because of the almost continuous and bloody fighting that occurred there for its control. Although aided by UN air strikes and artillery and naval gunfire,
20097-405: The Naktong had already crossed to the east side and were not in the bombed area. No evidence was found that the bombing killed a single KPA soldier. However, the bombing seems to have destroyed a significant number of KPA artillery batteries. The UN ground and air commanders opposed future massive carpet bombing attacks unless there was precise information on an enemy concentration and the situation
20328-473: The Naktong in the open with their artillery fire and air attacks. The exact numbers of soldiers captured and executed compared with those killed in combat are difficult to determine, because of conflicting accounts of how many prisoners were actually held on Hill 303. The KPA suffered much higher casualties, and also a much higher percentage of them killed in action (KIA). This included 2,500 at Yongp'o, 500 at Hill 303, and 700 on Triangulation Hill. This places
20559-430: The North Korean commands distributed operations orders to their subordinate units. The plan called for a simultaneous five-prong attack against the UN lines. These attacks would overwhelm the UN defenders and allow the KPA to break through the lines in at least one place to force the UN forces back. Five battle groupings were ordered: On August 22 the North Korean premier, Kim Il Sung , had ordered his forces to conclude
20790-474: The North Koreans were at a disadvantage which was growing daily. KPA tank losses had been in the hundreds, and they had fewer than 100 tanks by the time of the Pusan Perimeter fight, to the Americans' 600 tanks. By the end of August the KPA's only remaining advantage was their initiative. However, their forces retained high morale and enough supply to allow for a large-scale offensive. In planning its new offensive,
21021-466: The North in 1948, and most American forces withdrew from the South in 1949. Ambassador Shtykov suspected Rhee was planning to invade the North and was sympathetic to Kim's goal of Korean unification under socialism. The two successfully lobbied Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to support a quick war against the South, which culminated in the outbreak of the Korean War. The military of North Korea invaded
21252-612: The One-Ideology System") which establishes standards for governance and a guide for the behaviors of North Koreans. The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), a communist party led by a member of the Kim family , has an estimated 6.5 million members and is in control of North Korean politics. It has two satellite parties, the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party . Kim Jong Un of
21483-496: The Pusan Perimeter and awaited reinforcements and counterattacks against the KPA. Among the US units that reinforced the Pusan Perimeter as soon as they could arrive were the 1st Cavalry Division, the 7th Infantry Division and the 25th Infantry Divisions , along with other units of the US Eighth Army that provided logistical, medical, and intelligence support. Advance units of the 24th Infantry Division were badly defeated in
21714-449: The ROK 3rd Division southwest of P'ohang-dong. Coulter directed the 21st Infantry to repel this penetration. During the day on August 29, B Company, 21st Infantry, supported by a platoon of tanks of B Company, 73rd Medium Tank Battalion, successfully counterattacked northwest from the southern edge of P'ohang-dong for a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 km), with ROK troops following. The American units then withdrew to P'ohang-dong. That night
21945-412: The ROK 3rd Division was not able to capture this hill, and suffered many casualties in the effort. On September 2 the US 21st Infantry attacked northwest from P'ohang-dong in an effort to help the ROK recapture Hill 99. A platoon of tanks followed the valley road between P'ohang-dong and Hunghae. The regimental commander assigned K Company Hill 99 as its objective. The company was unable to take Hill 99 from
22176-414: The ROK 5th and 11th Regiments from two widely separated sectors of the front to the area of penetration resulted in destroying the force before it could exploit its breakthrough. Walker was commended for his judgment of the reinforcements needed to stem the KPA attacks in the Kyongju and Yongch'on areas. While four divisions of the KPA II Corps attacked south in the P'ohang-dong, Kyongju, and Yongch'on area,
22407-458: The ROK 6th Division's sector from August 6 to 8. This attack was discovered quickly by US reconnaissance planes and the KPA 1st Division was immediately engaged by the ROK forces. The two divisions locked in battle around Kunwi until August 17, with the KPA division facing stubborn resistance, heavy air attacks, and heavy casualties. ROK troops attacked the 13th Division immediately after it completed its crossing, forcing scattered KPA troops into
22638-455: The ROK 8th Division and in reorganizing its units was an important factor in the successful outcome of these battles. On September 10, the ROK 8th Division cleared the Yongch'on-Kyongju road of KPA. Advancing north of Yongch'on after the retreating survivors of the KPA 15th Division, the ROK 8th Division and the 5th Regiment, 7th Division encountered almost no resistance. On September 12, elements of
22869-517: The ROK I Corps commander, told him he could not attack, that there were too many casualties and the South Koreans were exhausted. The KPA 5th Division above P'ohang-dong had begun to press south again and the ROK 3rd Division in front of it began to show signs of pulling back. On the 28th, the KMAG adviser to the ROK 3rd Division and Brigadier General Kim Suk Won clashed over whether the division should retreat or attack. That day, August 28, Walker issued
23100-465: The ROK I Corps front collapsed. Three KPA T-34 tanks overran a battery of ROK artillery and then scattered two battalions of the newly arrived ROK 5th Regiment. Following a mortar preparation, the KPA entered An'gang-ni at 02:20. An hour later the command post of the Capital Division withdrew from the town and fighting became increasingly confused. US units disengaged and withdrew and by nightfall,
23331-527: The ROK in this area. The division's 13th Regiment still held some positions along the river, while the 11th and 12th Regiments battled the KPA in the high mountain masses of Suam-san and Yuhak-san, west and northwest of Tabu-dong and 4 mi (6.4 km) to 6 mi (9.7 km) east of the Naktong River. The KPA continued to use the underwater bridge across the Naktong 6 mi (9.7 km) north of Waegwan as their major route for supply and reinforcements. UN forces continued to target this bridge, even scoring
23562-524: The ROK withdrew and the next day an American infantry-tank force repeated the action of the day before. The 21st Infantry then took over from the ROK 3rd Division a sector extending north and northwest of P'ohang-dong. Also on August 29, the ROK Capital Division, with American tank and artillery support, recaptured Kigye and held it during the night against KPA counterattacks, only to lose it again at dawn. UN air attacks continued at an increased tempo in
23793-527: The SPA Standing Committee, whose Chairman ( Choe Ryong-hae since 2019) is the third-ranking official in North Korea. Deputies formally elect the chairman, the vice chairpersons and members of the Standing Committee and take part in the constitutionally appointed activities of the legislature: pass laws, establish domestic and foreign policies, appoint members of the cabinet, review and approve
24024-501: The South which is depicted by the North Korean government as an imperialist occupation force. It claims that the Korean War was caused by the United States and South Korea. In October 2024, North Korea claims that 1.4 million people have joined its military after accusing South Korea of a drone intrusion. In response, South Korea is restricting leaflet launches near the border to prevent potential conflict, while both sides engage in psychological warfare, including disturbing broadcasts at
24255-520: The State, including major policies of the State, and to carry out the directions of the president of the commission, Kim Jong Un. The SAC also directly supervises the Ministry of Defence , Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Social Security . Legislative power is held by the unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (SPA). Its 687 members are elected every five years by universal suffrage , though
24486-448: The UN forces began their breakout from the Pusan Perimeter . From the outbreak of the Korean War following the invasion of South Korea by the North in June 1950, the KPA had enjoyed superiority in both manpower and equipment over the ROK and the UN forces dispatched to South Korea to prevent it from collapsing. The North Korean strategy was to aggressively pursue UN forces on all avenues of approach south and to engage them, attacking from
24717-482: The UN forces south at each encounter. However, by August the UN troops (which were composed mostly of troops from the United States (US) and Republic of Korea Army (ROK) had been forced into the 140-mile (230 km) Pusan Perimeter on the southeast tip of the Korean peninsula . For the first time, the UN troops formed a continuous line which the KPA could neither flank nor overwhelm with superior numbers. KPA offensives on
24948-463: The UN forces. Eighth Army on September 10 reduced the ration of 105 mm howitzer ammunition from 50 to 25 rounds per howitzer per day, except in cases of emergency. Carbine ammunition was also in critical short supply. The 17th Field Artillery Battalion , with the first 8-inch howitzers to arrive in Korea, could not engage in the battle for lack of ammunition. The KPA 1st Division now began moving in
25179-467: The UN ground forces maintain their positions. UN forces were pushed back repeatedly before finally halting the KPA advance in a series of battles around the edges of the Pusan Perimeter. Forces of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry , newly arrived in the country, were wiped out at Hadong in a coordinated ambush by KPA forces on July 27, opening a pass to the Pusan area. Soon after, KPA forces took Chinju to
25410-539: The US 24th Infantry Division sparred in the Naktong Bulge area. In the First Battle of Naktong Bulge , the KPA was unable to hold its bridgehead across the river as large numbers of US reserves were brought in to repel it, and on August 19, the KPA 4th Division was forced back across the river with 50 percent casualties. In the Taegu region, five KPA divisions were repulsed by three UN divisions in several attempts to attack
25641-416: The US 1st Cavalry Division had a frontage of approximately 35 miles (56 km). The Division commander Major General Hobart R. Gay outposted the main avenues of entry into his zone and kept his three regiments concentrated behind these outposts. Walker ordered the 1st Cavalry Division to attack north on September 1 in an effort to divert some of the KPA strength from the US 2nd and 25th Infantry Divisions in
25872-558: The USAF and the US Navy. The KPA attacked the US troops with superior numbers at first, and with T-34 tanks, but despite local defeats, the UN troops, with the help of aviation and naval units were able to extend the Pusan Perimeter all the way south to the East China Sea and to blunt all KPA attacks toward Pusan. American air supremacy over the Pusan Perimeter was a significant factor in helping
26103-466: The Yongp'o area to support the 2nd Battalion. KPA artillery and tank fire from the west side of the river supported the infantry crossing. A large number of KPA reinforcements were crossing in barges near the bridge, while under fire from US air strikes and artillery. This attack also stalled, with the deepest KPA penetration reaching Samuni-dong, 1.5 mi (2.4 km) beyond the blown-up bridge. From there
26334-402: The aid of USAF, US Navy and United States Marine Corps aviation forces. MacArthur decided to have his US and ROK troops to dig in around Pusan and hold on until he could assemble a powerful force (the X Corps ) to make an amphibious counterattack at Inchon on the northwestern coast of South Korea, near Seoul , later on in 1950. The 24th Infantry Division, along with the ROK held out inside
26565-613: The armistice was interrupted by border skirmishes, celebrity abductions, and assassination attempts. The North failed in several assassination attempts on South Korean leaders, such as in 1968 , 1974, and the Rangoon bombing in 1983; tunnels were found under the DMZ and tensions flared over the axe murder incident at Panmunjom in 1976. For almost two decades after the war, the two states did not seek to negotiate with one another. In 1971, secret, high-level contacts began to be conducted culminating in
26796-416: The artillery preparations had failed to dislodge the KPA. From their positions they fired on the climbing infantry, stopping the lead elements of the US force short of the crest. In the afternoon the US battalion withdrew from Hill 518 and attacked northeast against Hill 490, from which other KPA troops had fired in support of the forces on Hill 518. The next day at 12:00, the newly arrived 3rd Battalion resumed
27027-450: The attack against Hill 518 from the south, as did the 1st Battalion the day before, in a column of companies that resolved itself in the end into a column of squads. Again the attack failed. Other attacks failed on September 4. A KPA forward observer captured on Hill 518 said that 1,200 North Koreans were dug in on the hill and that they had large numbers of mortars and ammunition to hold out. While these attacks were in progress on its right,
27258-450: The attack in the Ka-san sector as well. ROK 1st Division commander Major General Paik Sun Yup also braced his men for attack. The attack hit with full force in the Bowling Alley area north of Taegu. The attack caught the 8th Cavalry Regiment unprepared at Sangju. The division was poorly deployed along the road to that town, lacking a reserve force to counterattack effectively. The KPA struck
27489-403: The attack on the Pusan Perimeter. In the meantime, Eighth Army commander Lieutenant General Walton Walker had established Taegu as the Eighth Army's headquarters. Right at the center of the Pusan Perimeter, Taegu stood at the entrance to the Naktong River valley, an area where KPA forces could advance in large numbers in close support. The natural barriers provided by the Naktong River to
27720-421: The battle. In its first combat mission, the crossing of the Naktong, the 10th Division suffered 2,500 casualties. Almost simultaneously with the KPA 10th Division's crossing in the southern part of the 1st Cavalry Division sector at Tuksong-dong and Yongp'o, another was taking place northward above Waegwan near the boundary between the division's sector and the ROK 1st Division's sector. The northernmost unit of
27951-499: The battle. A secondary objective was to surround Taegu and destroy the UN units in that city. As part of this mission, the KPA would first cut the supply lines to Taegu. North Korean planners enlarged the KPA force in anticipation of a new offensive. The KPA, originally numbering 10 divisions in two corps, was enlarged to 14 divisions with several independent brigades. The new troops were brought in from reserve forces from North Korea. Marshal Choe Yong Gun served as deputy commander of
28182-470: The bodies of 26 mortarmen of H Company, hands tied in back, with gunshot wounds to the back. First knowledge of the event came in the afternoon when scouts brought in a man from Hill 303, Pvt. Roy Manring of the Heavy Mortar Platoon, who had been wounded by automatic weapons fire. Manring had crawled down the hill until he saw scouts of the attacking force. In all about 45 men were shot by the KPA in
28413-444: The border. The post-war 1950s and 1960s saw an ideological shift in North Korea, as Kim Il Sung sought to consolidate his power. Kim Il Sung was highly critical of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev and his de-Stalinization policies and critiqued Khrushchev as revisionist. During the 1956 August Faction Incident , Kim Il Sung successfully resisted efforts by the Soviet Union and China to depose him in favor of Soviet Koreans or
28644-735: The charge, killing or wounding about two-thirds of the attacking force. North Korea North Korea , officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( DPRK ), is a country in East Asia . It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone . The country's western border
28875-439: The city during the Battle of Taegu . Particularly heavy fighting took place at the Battle of the Bowling Alley where the KPA 13th Division was almost completely destroyed in the attack. On the east coast, three more KPA divisions were repulsed by the ROK at P'ohang-dong during the Battle of P'ohang-dong . All along the front, the KPA were reeling from these defeats, the first time in the war their strategies were failing. By
29106-418: The city of Taejon captured, the KPA began surrounding the Pusan Perimeter on the north and the west in an attempt to crush it. The KPA 4th and 6th Infantry Divisions advanced south in a wide flanking maneuver . These two KPA divisions attempted to turn the UN left flank in order to capture Pusan from the southwest, but they became dispersed in the process. They were also exposed to repeated air attacks from
29337-403: The combined fire of US light weapons, mortars and artillery drove them back to the river. By noon, large groups of KPA were trying to recross the river to the west side as American artillery continued hammering them, causing heavy casualties. By nightfall, the 7th Cavalry Regiment had eliminated the KPA bridgehead at Yongp'o. In the fight, the only major one to take place along the Naktong at
29568-455: The company during its climb, but the head of the company arrived at the bowl-shaped summit of Hill 755, the southern arm of the Hill 902 crest. The platoon commander placed the 90 men of his company in position facing in an arc from west to northeast; the 2nd Platoon took the left flank near the stone wall, the 1st Platoon took the center position on a wooded knoll, and the 3rd Platoon the right flank at
29799-463: The company suffered 82 casualties. Even so, the company held only one side of the hill, the KPA held the other, and grenade battles between the two continued for another week. The battalions of the 5th Cavalry Regiment were so low in strength at this time that they were not considered combat effective. This seesaw battle continued in full 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Taegu. General Gay, alerted all of his division's front-line units to be prepared for
30030-563: The complete collapse of the ROK and of the South Korean Government. However, the UN commander, General Douglas MacArthur , after an inspection trip to South Korea, realised US Army ground forces would need to be committed. At the time of the North Korean invasion, the closest US ground force was the 24th Infantry Division , which was based in Japan. This division had fewer than its normal contingent of soldiers, and most of its equipment
30261-414: The conflict with pro-Soviet and pro-Chinese dissenters, and Korea's centuries-long struggle for independence. Juche was introduced into the constitution in 1972. Juche was initially promoted as a "creative application" of Marxism–Leninism , but in the mid-1970s, it was described by state propaganda as "the only scientific thought... and most effective revolutionary theoretical structure that leads to
30492-448: The continued pressure against the eastern flank of the 1st Cavalry Division sector was the most immediate threat to the UN forces at Pusan Perimeter. That same day, the 1st Cavalry Division canceled a planned continuation of the attack against Hill 570 by the 3rd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, when KPA forces threatened Hills 314 and 660, south and east of 570. In the midst of this drive on Taegu, an ammunition shortage became critical for
30723-418: The crossing site and 3 mi (5 km) northwest of Tabu-dong. The KPA 13th Division quickly locked in combat on Yuhak-san with the ROK 1st Division. South of Waegwan, two more KPA divisions stood ready to cross the Naktong in a coordinated attack with the divisions to the north. The experienced KPA 3rd Division, concentrated in the vicinity of Songju , and the untested KPA 10th Division, concentrated in
30954-404: The crossing site. Although the KPA regiment suffered some casualties, the bulk of it reached the east bank and then moved inland into the hills. About 30 minutes later, the 8th and 9th Regiments began crossing the river to the south. The 5th Cavalry Regiment and all its supporting mortars and artillery, now fully alerted, spotted and decimated the troops of the two regiments and turned them back to
31185-505: The cult of personality, particularly surrounding Kim Il Sung, has been crucial for legitimizing the family's hereditary succession. The control the North Korean government exercises over many aspects of the nation's culture is used to perpetuate the cult of personality surrounding Kim Il Sung, and Kim Jong Il. While visiting North Korea in 1979, journalist Bradley Martin wrote that nearly all music, art, and sculpture that he observed glorified "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung, whose personality cult
31416-449: The defection of Major Kim Song Jun of the KPA 19th Regiment, 13th Division. He reported that a full-scale KPA attack was to begin at dusk that day. The KPA 13th Division, he said, had just taken in 4,000 replacements, 2,000 of them without weapons, and was now back to a strength of approximately 9,000 men. Upon receiving this intelligence, Gay alerted all front-line units to be prepared for the attack. Complying with Eighth Army's order for
31647-533: The early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan . In 1945, after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II , Korea was divided into two zones along
31878-480: The east, guarding the narrow valley holding the Kunwi road into the Pusan Perimeter area. Five KPA divisions amassed to oppose the UN at Taegu. From south to north, the 10th , 3rd , 15th , 13th , and 1st Divisions occupied a wide line encircling Taegu from Tuksong-dong and around Waegwan to Kunwi. The KPA planned to use the natural corridor of the Naktong valley from Sangju to Taegu as its main axis of attack for
32109-451: The edge of a woods. The D Company position was entirely within the area enclosed by the stone wall. As several squads left the hill on a patrol, the KPA attacked the main company position behind it. The platoon dropped down off the ridge into a gully on the left. Some of the men in the advanced squad made their way back to US lines, but the KPA captured most near the bottom of Ka-san on September 10 as they were trying to make their way through
32340-454: The elections have been described by outside observers as similar to elections in the Soviet Union . Elections in North Korea have also been described as a form of government census, due to the near 100% turnout. Although the elections are not pluralistic , North Korean state media describes the elections as "an expression of the absolute support and trust of all voters in the DPRK government". Supreme People's Assembly sessions are convened by
32571-416: The end of August the KPA had been pushed beyond their limits and many of the original units were at far reduced strength and effectiveness. Logistic problems racked the KPA, and shortages of food, weapons, equipment and replacement soldiers proved devastating for their units. By late August, the UN command had more combat soldiers in Korea than the North Koreans did, and UN superiority over the air and sea meant
32802-411: The establishment of the Pusan Perimeter in August, the UN troops held a continuous line which the KPA could not flank, and their advantages in numbers decreased daily as the superior UN logistical system brought in more troops and supplies to the UN forces. When the KPA approached the Pusan Perimeter on August 5, they attempted the same frontal assault technique on the four main avenues of approach into
33033-428: The evacuation of Taegu, and President of South Korea Syngman Rhee moved the national leaders to Pusan. Following the ordered evacuation, swarms of panicked South Korean refugees began to pour out on the roads leading from the city, threatening to stop all military traffic, but Eighth Army eventually halted the evacuations. On August 14, General MacArthur ordered Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer to conduct
33264-494: The event, of which only five survived. The total number of men executed around Hill 303 is unclear, as several more men were subsequently discovered in other locations around the hill with evidence of execution. Angered, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur , commander of UN forces in Korea, broadcast a warning to North Korean leaders they would be held accountable for the atrocity. However intercepted documents show
33495-603: The famine of the 1990s was partially caused by natural disasters out of Kim Jong Il's control. The song " No Motherland Without You ", sung by the North Korean army choir, was created especially for Kim Jong Il and is one of the most popular tunes in the country. Kim Il Sung is still officially revered as the nation's "Eternal President". Several landmarks in North Korea are named for Kim Il Sung , including Kim Il Sung University , Kim Il Sung Stadium , and Kim Il Sung Square . Defectors have been quoted as saying that North Korean schools deify both father and son. Kim Il Sung rejected
33726-428: The fighting was so intense that the two armies had no chance to regroup for co-ordinating action. On September 9 and 10 ROK units surrounded and virtually destroyed the KPA 15th Division southeast of Yongch'on on the hills bordering the Kyongju road. The KPA division chief of staff, Colonel Kim Yon, was killed there together with many other high-ranking officers. The part played by KMAG officers in rounding up stragglers of
33957-585: The first of the 98 B-29 Superfortresses of the 19th , 22nd , 92nd , 98th and 307th Bomber Groups arrived over the target area from their Far East Air Force bases in Japan and Okinawa . The last planes cleared the target at 12:24. The bombers from 10,000 ft (3,000 m) dropped approximately 960 tons of 500- and 1,000-pound bombs. The attack had required the entirety of the FEAF bombing component, and they had dropped 3,084 500 lb (230 kg) bombs and 150 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs. This comprised
34188-429: The first reports were vague, General Gay decided to withhold counterattack until he learned more about the situation. He quickly learned that around 750 KPA infantry troops had gathered on Hill 268, also known as "Triangulation Hill", which was 3 mi (5 km) southeast of Waegwan and 10 mi (16 km) northwest of Taegu. General Gay ordered his division to counterattack the enemy gathering to force them across
34419-403: The first time since the 2017 crisis. In September 2022, North Korea passed a law that declared itself a nuclear state . On December 30, 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un provocatively declared South Korea a "colonial vassal state", marking a significant departure from the longstanding position of mutual claims over the entire Korean Peninsula by both North and South Korea. This statement
34650-483: The five American tanks to move along the Waegwan road until they could fire onto the hill from the northwest into its reverse slope. This tank-gun fire caught the KPA troops unprepared while they were hiding from the artillery fire. Trapped between the two barrages, they started to vacate their positions. An American infantry attack next reached the crest of the Triangulation Hill without much trouble, and this battle
34881-568: The foreign embassies accredited to North Korea are located in Beijing rather than in Pyongyang . In the 1960s and 1970s, it pursued an independent foreign policy, established relations with many developing countries, and joined the Non-Aligned Movement . In the late 1980s and the 1990s its foreign policy was thrown into turmoil with the collapse of the Soviet Bloc . Suffering an economic crisis, it closed
35112-452: The front and initiating a double envelopment of both flanks of the unit, which allowed the KPA to surround and cut off the opposing force, which would then be forced to retreat in disarray, often leaving behind much of its equipment. From their initial June 25 offensive to fights in July and early August, the KPA used this strategy to effectively defeat any UN force and push it south. However, with
35343-604: The future of communist society". Juche eventually replaced Marxism–Leninism entirely by the 1980s, and in 1992 references to the latter were omitted from the constitution. The 2009 constitution dropped references to communism and elevated the Songun military first policy while explicitly confirming the position of Kim Jong Il. However, the constitution retains references to socialism. The WPK reasserted its commitment to communism in 2021. Juche ' s concepts of self-reliance have evolved with time and circumstances, but still provide
35574-572: The groundwork for the spartan austerity, sacrifice, and discipline demanded by the party. Since the founding of the nation, North Korea's supreme leadership has stayed within the Kim family, which in North Korea is referred to as the Mount Paektu Bloodline . It is a three-generation lineage descending from the country's first leader, Kim Il Sung, who developed North Korea around the Juche ideology , and stayed in power until his death. Kim developed
35805-562: The high ground just north of the US-ROK boundary were attacked by this force. After daylight an air strike partially destroyed the underwater bridge. The KPA attack spread south and by 12:00 KPA small-arms fire fell on G Company, 5th Cavalry Regiment, on Hill 303. Instead of moving east into the mountains as other landings had, this force turned south and headed for Waegwan. Early in the morning on August 15, G Company men on Hill 303 spotted 50 KPA infantry supported by two T-34 tanks moving south along
36036-572: The high mountains between the Taegu sector on the west and the Kyongju-east coast sector, two KPA divisions, the 8th and 15th, also prepared an attack south on September 1 to break the supply route between Taegu and P'ohang-dong, which was in the vicinity of Hayang and Yongch'on. This attack would coordinate with the KPA offensive in the Kigye-P'ohang area. Hayang is 12 miles (19 km), and Yongch'on 20 miles (32 km) east of Taegu. The KPA 8th Division
36267-412: The hills southeast and east of Yongch'on, the KPA 15th Division encountered very stiff resistance. Its artillery regiment outpaced the infantry, expended its ammunition, and, without support, was then largely destroyed by ROK counterattack. The KPA artillery commander was killed in the action. After the ROK 5th and 11th Regiments arrived in the vicinity of Yongch'on to reinforce the demoralized 8th Division,
36498-474: The infantry attack. On the morning of September 2 the US Air Force delivered a 37-minute strike against Hills 518 and 346. The artillery then laid down its concentrations on the hills, and after that the planes came over again with Napalm , leaving the heights on fire. Just after 10:00, and immediately after the final napalm strike, the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, attacked up Hill 518. The heavy air strikes and
36729-621: The invasion of South Korea by North Korea and the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, the United Nations Security Council voted to send armed forces to defend South Korea. The United States, a permanent member of the Security Council, immediately deployed armed forces ( US Navy and US Air Force (USAF) units) to southeastern South Korea because of their immediate availability from their bases in Japan and Okinawa , where
36960-529: The largest USAF operation since the Battle of Normandy in World War II. General Walker reported to General MacArthur the next day that the damage done to the KPA by the bombing could not be evaluated because of smoke and dust, and ground forces could not reach it because of KPA fire. Information obtained later from KPA prisoners revealed the enemy divisions the Far East Command thought to be still west of
37191-566: The leader was announced "Eternal General Secretary" and "Eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission" after his death in 2011. According to the constitution, there are officially three main branches of government. The first of these is the State Affairs Commission (SAC), which acts as "the supreme national guidance organ of state sovereignty". Its role is to deliberate and decide the work on defense building of
37422-420: The left in the area of Hills 334 and 438, and the ROK 17th Regiment on the right in the area of Hill 445. By dawn of September 3, the KPA penetration there had reached the vital east–west corridor road 3 miles (4.8 km) east of An'gang-ni. As a result of this gain during the night, the KPA 12th Division had advanced 5 miles (8.0 km) and the Capital Division all but collapsed. This forced Coulter to withdraw
37653-447: The legitimate government of the entire Korean Peninsula and adjacent islands. Despite its official title as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea", some observers have described North Korea's political system as a "hereditary dictatorship". It has also been described as a Stalinist dictatorship . Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is the official ideology of North Korea and the WPK, and
37884-463: The line to the south, received 1,500 replacements at Kumch'on on August 5, which brought its strength to about 6,500 troops. On the next day, its 45th Regiment marched northeast toward the Naktong River. This regiment passed through Sonsan on August 7 and crossed the river southeast of that town while under attack by US aircraft. Once across the river, this regiment headed into the mountains, initially encountering no opposition. Its other two regiments,
38115-459: The main Seoul -Taegu highway. The KPA 3rd Division was still moving reinforcements across the Naktong. Observers sighted barges loaded with troops and artillery pieces crossing the river 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Waegwan on the evening of the 7th. On the 8th a North Korean communiqué claimed the capture of Waegwan. The next day the situation grew worse for the 1st Cavalry Division. On its left flank,
38346-429: The main crossing that was to follow. By 09:00, however, the 2nd Battalion, supported by the 77th Field Artillery Battalion and air strikes, drove the KPA back through Yongp'o and dispersed them. In the three days from August 10 to 12, the Naktong River had dropped 3 ft (0.91 m) in depth and it was only shoulder-deep at many places due to the lack of rain and the torrid weather. This made any attempt at crossing
38577-470: The most advanced nations up until the North Korean famine . Life expectancy in the North was 72 before the famine which was only marginally lower than in the South. The country once boasted a comparatively developed healthcare system; pre-famine North Korea had a network of nearly 45,000 family practitioners with some 800 hospitals and 1,000 clinics. The relative peace between the North and South following
38808-415: The mountain approaches to Taegu. US planners believed the main KPA attack would come from west, and so the US command massed its forces to the west of Taegu. The US command mistakenly believed up to 40,000 KPA troops were near Taegu. This number was above the actual troop numbers for the KPA, which had only 70,000 men along the entire perimeter. US artillery fire from the 1st Cavalry Division sector supported
39039-467: The mountain top and severely reduced visibility there. Again the KPA attacked as the final units began their withdrawal. When all remaining members of D Company had been assembled, the company had suffered 50 percent casualties; 18 men were wounded and 30 were missing in action . Soldiers of the ROK 1st Division captured a North Korean near Ka-san on September 4 who said that about 800 KPA soldiers were on Ka-san with three more battalions following them from
39270-606: The mountain. Other prominent ranges are the Hamgyong Range in the extreme northeast and the Rangrim Mountains , which are located in the north-central part of North Korea. Mount Kumgang in the Taebaek Range , which extends into South Korea, is famous for its scenic beauty. The coastal plains are wide in the west and discontinuous in the east. A great majority of the population lives in the plains and lowlands. According to
39501-416: The mountains. The division reassembled to the east and launched a concerted night attack, broke the ROK defenses, and began an advance that carried it 20 mi (32 km) southeast of Naktong-ni on the main road to Taegu. Within a week, the KPA 1st and 13th Divisions were converging on the Tabu-dong area, about 15 mi (24 km) north of Taegu. The KPA 15th Division, the next of the KPA divisions in
39732-439: The next push south, so the divisions all eventually moved through this valley, crossing the Naktong at different areas along the low ground. Elements of the 105th Armored Division also supported the attack. On the night of August 4 to 5, the KPA 13th Division began crossing the Naktong River at Naktong-ni, 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Taegu. The crossing was not discovered until August 5 when ROK artillery and mortar fire
39963-478: The north. The engineer company had succeeded only in establishing a perimeter briefly within the KPA-held area. By evening of September 5, Ka-san was securely in KPA hands with an estimated five battalions, totaling about 1,500 soldiers, on the mountain and its forward slope. By September 10, 400–500 KPA were on the ridge of Ka-San, as observed by a T-6 Mosquito spotter plane. Now, with Ka-san firmly in their possession,
40194-678: The northern half of the peninsula occupied by the Soviet Union and the southern half by the United States . Negotiations on reunification failed. Soviet general Terenty Shtykov recommended the establishment of the Soviet Civil Administration in October 1945, and supported Kim Il Sung as chairman of the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea , established in February 1946. In September 1946, South Korean citizens rose up against
40425-425: The notion that he had created a cult around himself and accused those who suggested this of " factionalism ". Following the death of Kim Il Sung, North Koreans were prostrating and weeping to a bronze statue of him in an organized event; similar scenes were broadcast by state television following the death of Kim Jong Il. Critics maintain that Kim Jong Il's personality cult was inherited from his father. Kim Jong Il
40656-456: The outskirts of the city to reinforce faltering military lines. Refugees had swollen Taegu's normal population of 300,000 to 700,000. A crisis seemed to be developing among the people on August 18 when several KPA artillery shells landed in Taegu. The shells, falling near the railroad station, damaged the roundhouse, destroyed one yard engine, killed one Korean civilian, and wounded eight others. The Korean Provincial Government subsequently ordered
40887-433: The perimeter were stalled and by the end of August all momentum was lost. Seeing the danger in a prolonged conflict along the perimeter, the KPA sought a massive offensive for September to collapse the UN line. The KPA subsequently planned a simultaneous offensive for their entire army along five axes of the perimeter; and on September 1 intense fighting erupted around the cities of Masan , Kyongju , Taegu , Yongch'on and
41118-418: The perimeter. Throughout August, the KPA 6th Division , and later the 7th Division engaged the US 25th Infantry Division at the Battle of Masan , initially repelling a UN counteroffensive before attacking Komam-ni and Battle Mountain . These attacks stalled as UN forces, well equipped and with large standing units of reserves , repeatedly repelled KPA attacks. North of Masan, the KPA 4th Division and
41349-518: The porters, turned it back. Shortly after the E Company platoon joined D Company, the KPA attacked again unsuccessfully. The US units, out of ammunition, relied on captured KPA equipment. At 13:30 Gay ordered the 8th Cavalry Regiment to withdraw its men off Ka-san. Gay believed he had insufficient forces to secure and hold it and that the KPA had insufficient ammunition to exploit its possession as an observation point for directing artillery and mortar fire. Rain started falling again and heavy fog closed in on
41580-437: The pro-Chinese Yan'an faction . Some scholars believe that the 1956 August incident was an example of North Korea demonstrating political independence. However, most scholars consider the final withdrawal of Chinese troops from North Korea in October 1958 to be the latest date when North Korea became effectively independent. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, North Korea sought to distinguish itself internationally by becoming
41811-462: The rear of the attacking US forces. That night large KPA forces came through the gap between the 3rd Battalion on the southern slope of Hill 518 and the 2nd Battalion westward. The KPA turned west and occupied Hill 464 in force. By September 5, Hill 464 to the rear of the US 7th Cavalry had more KPA on it than Hill 518 to its front. The KPA cut the Waegwan to Tabu-dong road east of the regiment so that its communications with other US units now were only to
42042-417: The regiment closed into an assembly area north of Kyongju. At the same time, Walker started the newly activated ROK 7th Division toward the KPA penetration. Its ROK 5th Regiment closed at Yongch'on that afternoon, and the ROK 3rd Regiment, less its 1st Battalion, closed at Kyongju in the evening. Walker also authorized Coulter to use the 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry; the 9th Infantry Regimental Tank Company; and
42273-415: The regiment. After crossing to the east side of the Naktong, the regiment had received no food or ammunition supply. An estimated 300 survivors retreated across the river the night of August 10–11. The KPA 3rd Division's attempted crossing of the Naktong south of Waegwan had ended in catastrophe. When the survivors of the 7th Regiment rejoined the division on or about August 12, the once powerful 3rd Division
42504-516: The remaining three divisions of the corps, the 3rd, 13th and 1st, conducted a converging attack on Taegu from the north and northwest. The KPA 3rd Division was to attack in the Waegwan area northwest of Taegu, the KPA 13th Division down the mountain ridges north of Taegu along and west of the Sangju-Taegu road and the KPA 1st Division along the high mountain ridges just east of the road. Defending Taegu,
42735-463: The repatriation of Japanese citizens in the country. The same year, North Korea revalued the North Korean won , which held greater value than its South Korean counterpart. Until the 1960s, economic growth was higher than in South Korea, and North Korean GDP per capita was equal to that of its southern neighbor as late as 1976. However, by the 1980s, the economy had begun to stagnate; it started its long decline in 1987 and almost completely collapsed after
42966-446: The river at the crossing site before advancing eastward into the mountains toward Tabu-dong, 7 mi (11 km) away. On the next day, the ROK 1st Division regained the high ground at the crossing sites, driving the KPA forces further eastward into the mountains. From August 12 through 16, the three regiments of the KPA 15th Division united on the east side of the Naktong River in the vicinity of Yuhak-san, 5 mi (8 km) east of
43197-469: The river considerably easier. A more determined KPA crossing of the Naktong in the vicinity of the blown bridge between Tuksong-dong and Yongp'o began early in the morning on August 14. By 06:20, about 500 KPA soldiers had penetrated as far as Yongp'o. Fifteen minutes later, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry soldiers engaged the KPA at Wich'on-dong, 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the crossing site. At 08:00, General Gay ordered 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry to move to
43428-403: The river road at the base of the hill. They also spotted another column moving to their rear which quickly engaged F Company with small arms fire. In order to escape the enemy encirclement, F Company withdrew south, but G Company did not. By 08:30, the KPA had completely surrounded it and a supporting platoon of H Company mortarmen on Hill 303. A relief column, composed of B Company, 5th Cavalry and
43659-479: The river. He and General Walker thought that this attack could be a feint, and that the KPA could be planning a larger attack to their north. Furthermore, the hill was important because of its proximity to the lines of supply. The main Korean north–south highway and the main Seoul-Pusan railroad skirted the base of Triangulation Hill. At about 09:30, General Gay ordered the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry, to counter
43890-504: The road, with Hill 928 (Hwa-san) on the east and lesser peaks on the west. At this passage of the mountains into the Taegu corridor, the ROK 6th Division decisively defeated the KPA 8th Division and practically destroyed it. By September 8 some of the KPA battalions could muster no more than 20 men. On the next road eastward above Yongch'on, the KPA 15th Division launched its attack against the ROK 8th Division on September 2. Although far understrength, with its three regiments reportedly having
44121-511: The same divided country as their compatriots in the South, and foreign visitors are discouraged from using the former term. According to Korean mythology in 2333 BCE, the Gojoseon Kingdom was established by the god-king Dangun . Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under the name Unified Silla in 668 AD, Korea was subsequently ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and
44352-593: The second-ranking official after Kim Jong Un. The Premier represents the government and functions independently. His authority extends over two vice premiers, 30 ministers , two cabinet commission chairmen, the cabinet chief secretary, the president of the Central Bank , the director of the Central Bureau of Statistics and the president of the Academy of Sciences . North Korea, like its southern counterpart, claims to be
44583-410: The south and the mountainous terrain to the north converged around Taegu, which was also the major transportation hub and last major South Korean city aside from Pusan itself to remain in UN hands. From south to north, the city was defended by the 1st Cavalry Division and the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions of ROK II Corps. The 1st Cavalry Division was spread out along a long line along the Naktong River to
44814-435: The south, with its 5th and 8th Cavalry Regiments holding a 24 km (15 mi) line along the river south of Waegwan , facing west. The 7th Cavalry Regiment held position to the east in reserve, along with artillery forces, ready to reinforce anywhere a crossing could be attempted. The ROK 1st Division held a northwest-facing line in the mountains immediately north of the city while the ROK 6th Division held position to
45045-474: The south. Gay's initial decision upon receipt of this order was to attack north up the Sangju road, but his staff and regimental commanders all joined in urging that the attack instead be against Hill 518 in the US 7th Cavalry Regiment zone. Only two days before, Hill 518 had been in the ROK 1st Division zone and had been considered a KPA assembly point. The 1st Cavalry Division, accordingly, prepared for an attack in
45276-514: The state economic plan, among others. The SPA itself cannot initiate any legislation independently of party or state organs. It is unknown whether it has ever criticized or amended bills placed before it, and the elections are based around a single list of WPK-approved candidates who stand without opposition. Executive power is vested in the Cabinet of North Korea , which has been headed by Premier Kim Tok Hun since 14 August 2020, who's officially
45507-561: The strain of both mounting losses and lack of supplies. However, some of these division's troops were able to disperse into the mountains. Some of these troops later assembled for different battles. These final elements of the KPA were finally defeated in the Battle of the Bowling Alley . Casualties among the 1st Cavalry Division were relatively light. This division suffered a total of about 600 casualties, with around 200 killed in action, including those at Hill 303. American forces in established positions were able to decimate KPA units crossing
45738-410: The town of Kigye in pulling back, and the entire Capital Division fell back 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south side of the Kigye valley. Walker ordered Major General Coulter to observe the ROK troops on the east. Coulter flew to Kyongju, arriving there at 12:00 that day. Walker in the meantime formally appointed Coulter Deputy Commander, Eighth Army, placing him in command of ROK I Corps which controlled
45969-457: The trains and continued south on foot through Taejon, arriving at the Naktong opposite Waegwan around August 8. The division was ordered to cross the Naktong River in the vicinity of Tuksong-dong, penetrate east, and cut the main supply route of the UN troops from Pusan to Taegu. The division assembled in the Koryong area on August 11. Two regiments of the KPA 10th Division, the 29th to the south and
46200-568: The travel writings of the Dutch East India Company 's Hendrick Hamel . After the division of the country into North and South Korea, the two sides used different terms to refer to Korea: Chosun or Joseon ( 조선 ) in North Korea, and Hanguk ( 한국 ) in South Korea. In 1948, North Korea adopted Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( Korean : 조선민주주의인민공화국 , Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk ; listen ) as its official name. In
46431-459: The two ROK units were 8 miles (13 km) north of the town. ROK forces now also advanced east from Yongch'on and north from Kyongju to close the breach in their lines. The most critical period of the fighting in the east occurred when the KPA 15th Division broke through the ROK 8th Division to Yongch'on. The KPA division attempted to turn east and southeast and take Task Force Jackson in the rear or on its left flank. But Walker's quick dispatch of
46662-454: The village of Kisong-dong 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the Tabu-dong road. During the afternoon and evening of September 3, the KPA 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment, 1st Division, had occupied the summit of Ka-san. The engineer company started its attack up the mountain about noon of September 4, following a trail up a southern spur. Less than 1 mile (1.6 km) up the trail, the company came under machine gun fire twice. KPA mortar fire also struck
46893-491: The war by September 1, yet the scale of the offensive did not allow this. Groups 1 and 2 were to begin their attack at 23:30 on August 31, and Groups 3, 4 and 5 would begin their attacks at 18:00 on September 2. The attacks were to closely connect in order to overwhelm UN troops at each point simultaneously, forcing breakthroughs in multiple places that the UN would be unable to reinforce. The KPA relied primarily on night attacks to counter UN air superiority and naval firepower, with
47124-405: The way south through Eighth Army positions into the city, and, in North Korean hands, could be used for general intelligence purposes and to direct artillery and mortar fire. Colonel Raymond D. Palmer, commanding the 8th Cavalry Regiment was ordered to retake the mountain with the help of several support units. The next morning, September 4, the force moved to Ka-san and set up an assembly area near
47355-476: The well dug-in North Koreans. At dusk a KPA penetration occurred along the boundary between the ROK Capital and 3rd Divisions 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Kigye. The next morning, September 2 at 01:30, the KPA 12th Division, executing its part of the coordinated KPA II Corps general attack, struck the Capital Division on the high hill masses south of the Kigye valley. This attack threw back the ROK 18th Regiment on
47586-402: The west bank. Only a small number of KPA reached the eastern side. From there, they were either captured by the UN troops or hid out until the next night – when they retreated across the river. At dawn on August 9, the 1st Cavalry Division commander, Major General Hobart R. Gay at his headquarters in Taegu learned of the KPA's river crossing in the area of his division south of Waegwan. Since
47817-455: The west, pushing back the US 19th Infantry Regiment and leaving routes to the Pusan open for more KPA attacks. US formations were subsequently able to defeat and push back the KPA on the flank in the Battle of the Notch on August 2. Suffering mounting losses, the KPA force in the west withdrew for several days to re-equip and receive reinforcements. This granted both sides a reprieve to prepare for
48048-465: The west. During the day the 7th Cavalry made a limited withdrawal on Hill 518, giving up on capturing the hill. On the division's right, Tabu-dong was in KPA hands, on the left Waegwan was a no-man's land , and in the center strong KPA forces were infiltrating southward from Hill 518. The 7th Cavalry Regiment in the center could no longer use the Waegwan-Tabu-dong lateral supply road behind it, and
48279-466: The wider world, because its government controls the northern part of the Korean Peninsula , it is commonly called North Korea to distinguish it from South Korea, which is officially called the Republic of Korea in English. Both governments consider themselves to be the legitimate government of the whole of Korea . For this reason, the people do not consider themselves as 'North Koreans' but as Koreans in
48510-423: The zone of the ROK 1st Division around the right flank of the 1st Cavalry Division. Its 2nd Regiment, with 1,200 men, advanced 6 miles (9.7 km) eastward from the vicinity of Hill 902 to the towering 4,000-foot-high (1,200 m) mountain of P'algong-san . It reached the top of P'algong-san about daylight on September 10, and a little later new replacements made a charge toward the ROK positions. The ROK repulsed
48741-447: Was 14 mi (23 km) southwest of Taegu. By daylight, a KPA force of 300 to 400 had penetrated to Wich'on-dong and 2nd Battalion's H Company engaged it in close combat. In a grenade and automatic weapons attack, the KPA overran the advance positions of the company, the mortar observation post, and the heavy machine gun positions. The KPA were apparently attempting to control high ground east of Yongp'o in order to provide protection for
48972-459: Was an 8 miles (13 km) gap between the Capital Division and the ROK 8th Division to the west. From that direction the KPA posed a threat to the railroad and the road net running south through the Kyongju corridor to Pusan. Faced with this big gap on his left flank, Coulter put the US 21st Infantry in the broad valley and on its bordering hills northwest of Kyongju to block any approach from that direction. The night of September 5/6, events reached
49203-469: Was an engagement between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces early in the Korean War , with fighting continuing from August 5–20, 1950 around the city of Taegu , South Korea. It was a part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter , and was one of several large engagements fought simultaneously. The battle ended in a victory for the UN after their forces were able to drive off an offensive by Korean People's Army (KPA) divisions attempting to cross
49434-454: Was astride the main Andong - Sinnyong -Yongch'on road 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Yongch'on and the KPA 15th Division was eastward in the mountains just below Andong, 35 miles (56 km) north of Yongch'on on a poor and mountainous secondary road. The objective of the 8th Division was Hayang; the objective of the 15th was Yongch'on, which the division had orders to take at all costs. Opposing
49665-430: Was called on the crossing. Over the course of three nights, KPA soldiers from the division's three regiments crossed the river on rafts or by wading, carrying their weapons and equipment over their heads. The entire division was across by August 7, and assembling several miles from the ROK 1st Division's prepared defenses. At the same time, the KPA 1st Division crossed the river on barges between Hamch'ang and Sangju, in
49896-442: Was covered with thick brush from about 4 ft (1 m) and trees eight to 10 ft (3 m) high. The day was very hot, and many of the American soldiers collapsed from heat exhaustion during the attack, which was not well-coordinated with the artillery fire. The KPA repulsed the attack. On the next morning, August 10, air raids and artillery rocked Hill 268, devastating the KPA battalion. That afternoon, General Gay ordered
50127-480: Was critical. Instead, they recommended fighter-bombers and dive bombers would better support ground forces. They subsequently canceled a second bombing of an area east of the Naktong scheduled for August 19. The battles around Taegu saw repeated attempts by the KPA to attack the city. However, the KPA were repeatedly stopped or slowed by US and ROK troops and airstrikes. The five KPA divisions each suffered heavy casualties, and each of them finally collapsed under
50358-562: Was followed by a call on January 15, 2024, for a constitutional amendment to redefine the boundary with South Korea as the 'Southern National Borderline,' further intensifying the rhetoric against South Korea. Kim Jong-un also stated that in the event of a war, North Korea would seek to annex the entirety of South Korea. North Korea occupies the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula , lying between latitudes 37° and 43°N , and longitudes 124° and 131°E . It covers an area of 120,540 square kilometers (46,541 sq mi). To its west are
50589-405: Was in danger of being surrounded. After discussing a withdrawal plan with Walker, on September 5 Gay issued an order for a general withdrawal of the 1st Cavalry Division during the night to shorten the lines and to occupy a better defensive position. Heavy rains fell during the night of September 5/6 and mud slowed all wheeled and tracked vehicles in the withdrawal. The 2nd Battalion disengaged from
50820-415: Was low in food, weapons, and ammunition, and its men suffered from low morale. Facing the 12th Division was the ROK Capital Division. At 04:00 on August 27, a KPA attack overran one company of the ROK 17th Regiment, Capital Division, north of Kigye. This caused the whole regiment to buckle and retreat. Then the ROK 18th Regiment to the east fell back because of its exposed flank. The ROK 17th Regiment lost
51051-425: Was moving to a position north of Taegu on the morning of August 27, when Walker revoked its orders and instructed it to turn around and proceed as rapidly as possible to Kyongju and report to Coulter. Coulter immediately sent the 3rd Battalion north to An'gang-ni where it went into a position behind the ROK Capital Division. Coulter's plan to attack on August 28 had to be postponed. Brigadier General Kim Hong-il ,
51282-399: Was often the center of attention throughout ordinary life. His birthday is one of the most important public holidays in the country . On his 60th birthday (based on his official date of birth), mass celebrations occurred throughout the country. Kim Jong Il's personality cult, although significant, was not as extensive as his father's. One point of view is that Kim Jong Il's cult of personality
51513-426: Was over by about 16:00. US artillery and mortar fire was now shifted westward, and this cut off the KPA retreat. White phosphorus shells fired from the 61st Field Artillery Battalion caught KPA troops in a village while they attempted to retreat, and they were then routed by US infantry, suffering over 200 killed. That evening the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, returned to the serve as the division reserve, and elements of
51744-513: Was pronounced in December 1955 in a speech called On Eliminating Dogmatism and Formalism and Establishing Juche in Ideological Work in order to emphasize a Korea-centered revolution. Its core tenets are economic self-sufficiency , military self-reliance and an independent foreign policy. The roots of Juche were made up of a complex mixture of factors, including the popularity of Kim Il Sung,
51975-470: Was rather old due to the U.S. Congress 's reductions in military spending. In any case, the 24th Infantry Division was the only part of the US Army that was available to quickly reinforce South Korea. Thus, the 24th Infantry Division was the first American armed force sent to South Korea with the mission to blunt the advance of the KPA and to set up a defensive perimeter around Pusan (the Pusan Perimeter ) with
52206-422: Was reduced to a disorganized unit of only about 2,500 troops. The KPA placed this division in reserve to be rebuilt by replacements. The KPA plan for the attack against Taegu from the west and southwest demanded that the KPA 10th Division make a coordinated attack with the KPA 3rd Division. The 10th Division, so far untested in combat, had started from Sukch'on for the front by rail on July 25. At Chonan it left
52437-528: Was running low and three USAF C-47 Skytrain aircraft came over the area to make an airdrop . The planes mistakenly dropped their bundles of ammunition and food on the KPA positions. Immediately after the airdrops, two F-51 Mustang fighter planes came over and attacked D Company, also in error. Soon after this aerial attack, KPA troops attacked the positions. Sometime between 10:00 and 11:00, E Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, arrived on top of Hill 755 and came into D Company's perimeter. KPA fire, killing several of
52668-547: Was signed. Approximately 3 million people died in the Korean War, with a higher proportional civilian death toll than World War II or the Vietnam War . In both per capita and absolute terms, North Korea was the country most devastated by the war, which resulted in the death of an estimated 12–15% of the North Korean population ( c. 10 million), "a figure close to or surpassing the proportion of Soviet citizens killed in World War II ," according to Charles K. Armstrong . As
52899-462: Was solely out of respect for Kim Il Sung or out of fear of punishment for failure to pay homage, while North Korean government sources consider it genuine hero worship. As a result of its isolation, North Korea is sometimes known as the " hermit kingdom ", a term that originally referred to the isolationism in the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty . Initially, North Korea had diplomatic ties only with other communist countries, and even today, most of
53130-426: Was tasked with eliminating the KPA penetration in the Kigye area and of seizing and organizing the high ground extending from north of Yongch'on to the coast at Wolp'o-ri , about 12 miles (19 km) north of P'ohang-dong. This line passed 10 miles (16 km) north of Kigye. Coulter was to attack as soon as possible with Task Force Jackson to gain the first high ground north of Kigye. The US 21st Infantry Regiment
53361-494: Was then being extended to his son, "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il. Claims that the family has been deified are contested by B. R. Myers: "Divine powers have never been attributed to either of the two Kims. In fact, the propaganda apparatus in Pyongyang has generally been careful not to make claims that run directly counter to citizens' experience or common sense." He further explains that the state propaganda painted Kim Jong Il as someone whose expertise lay in military matters and that
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