Division of Korea after WWII

• From the late 19th century, Japan controlled Korea.

Cairo Declaration (1943)

• Korea to eventually become independent, defined as a period of up to 40 years by Roosevelt.

Yalta (1945)

• Post-war Korea would be governed by a four-power trusteeship (USA, USSR, Britain, China).
• The aim was to restrict Soviet influence.

Potsdam (1945)

• Rejected Soviet proposals for a detailed trusteeship plan.
• There was confidence the Soviets wouldn't mobilize troops in the Far East before Japanese surrender.

Division of Korea

• Late WWII, Russia agreed to join the war against Japan.
• August 10: Soviet forces approached northern Korea after declaring war on Japan.
• The Soviet army then moved into Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula.
• The US decision to use atomic bombs ended the war.
• Stalin sent two divisions into Korea.
• The US rushed two army divisions to Korea, making landings at Inchon.
• The 38th parallel was suggested by a US general as a 'halting line', and the Soviet army accepted it.
  • The division put 2/3rds of the Korean population and Seoul under US administration.
• Some American officials wanted to occupy northern Korea, but Stalin agreed to the 38th parallel.
  • Both the USSR and USA wanted to avoid a full-scale conflict.

Korean People's Republic (KPR)

• Koreans celebrated the Japanese surrender and established it.
  • The KPR included some Communists, and Syngman Rhee was elected as its chairman in his absence.
• Washington perceived the KPR as communist-dominated.
  • US forces in South Korea, led by Lieutenant General Hodge, were ordered to ignore it.
  • Hodge favored the conservative elite, many of whom collaborated with the Japanese.

Moscow Conference (December 1945)

• The US Secretary of State and Soviet Foreign Minister agreed to establish a Soviet-American joint commission.
  • The aim was to make recommendations for a Korean provisional government working alongside the four-power trusteeship.
  • Korean independence aimed for within 5 years.

Dr. Syngman Rhee

• English-speaking Christian.
• He consistently pressed for Korean independence and a democratic country.

Kim Il Sung (Kim Song Ju)

• Born in 1912, fled to Chinese Manchuria to escape the Japanese.

• Joined the Chinese Communist Party.

• Fought the Japanese using guerilla tactics, fleeing to the USSR army after defeat.

• Became a member of the USSR army and was loyal to Stalin.

• He wanted an independent, communist Korea.

• September 1945: Kim Il Sung, a popular Korean nationalist, arrived back in Korea.

• February 1946: Kim Il Sung was declared leader of an interim people's committee to govern northern Korea with the Soviets.

• November 1945: Syngman Rhee arrived and denounced the KPR.

• Kim Ku led the wartime Korean PG in China.

  • Kim Ku opposed trusteeship and demanded Korean independence.
  • December 1945: Kim Ku attempted a coup against the American government, but Hodge threatened to kill him.

• Rhee was chosen as the American-backed Korean leader in the south.

• February 1946: A Representative Democratic Council (RDC) was established in the south under Rhee.

• Americans rejected Rhee's suggestion of an anti-communist campaign in the north but backed a new south Korean state.

American Military Government (AMG)

• Late 1946: The AMG supervised elections for an interim legislative assembly.
  • Hodge appointed 1/2 of the new 90-member legislative assembly.
  • AMG and Korean police repressed southern communists.
• North Korea was developing into a communist state, with violence against non-left wing individuals and Christians.
  • The aim was to prepare for war to gain South Korea.
• Within weeks of the Truman Doctrine speech (March 1947), Secretary of State Dean Acheson planned a separate South Korean government and financial aid.
• The Soviet-American joint commission was failing to reach an agreement.
• The USA ruled with little sympathy for Korean desires to self-govern and suppressed nationalist parties.
• Both sides wanted an end to the division.
  • The main industries were in the north, while the south was the supplier of food.

End of Occupation

• Stalin offered a mutual withdrawal in 1947.
• The US Congress was unwilling to fund a large commitment in South Korea.
• Occupying forces were reduced to 7,500 in 1948, and the USA would withdraw in 1949.

Role of the UN

• September 1947: The US referred the Korean issue to the UN.
• November: The UN General Assembly established the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea (UNTCOK) to observe nationwide Korean elections.
• UNTCOK was refused access to the North and oversaw elections in the south.

UN Involvement (1945-1949)

• Supervised the first elections in South Korea in May 1948, leading to the Republic of Korea in August.
  • Syngman Rhee was elected as president, and the capital was Seoul.
  • Communists in the north rejected UN oversight.
  • Many left-wing, moderate, and even rightist Kim Ku refused to participate.
• The USSR supported Korean communists in the north to create the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
  • Leader: Kim Il Sung.
• UN involvement marked the start of a greater commitment to dealing with the challenges of a divided Korea.
• Elections in the North were held in August 1948, and the new state of North Korea was established.
• Soviet forces withdrew in December, and American forces left South Korea in June 1949.
• Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee sought to reunify the Korean peninsula.
• Communist guerrillas caused problems in South Korea but were largely exterminated by spring 1950.
• Rhee asked the US to approve an invasion of North Korea in early 1949, but the United States refused.
• Kim Il Sung pressed the USSR and China for aid for a military offensive against South Korea.
• Mao responded that he was preoccupied with the Chinese Civil War.
• Americans refused to countenance an attack on North Korea but proceeded with nation-building in South Korea.
• 500 soldiers in the Korean Military Advisory Group trained the South Korean Army.
• 2000 bureaucrats helped the South Korean regime in Seoul.
• The fall of South Korea to communism was thought to damage US prestige and containment efforts worldwide.

Korea and the Defensive Perimeter Strategy

• General MacArthur articulated the US defensive perimeter in March 1949.
• Secretary of State Dean Acheson made a public declaration of this strategy in January 1950.
• Although Korea was west of this, an attack on South Korea would be responded to by the UN.
• Korea was occupied by forces from both the USSR and the USA after the surrender of Japan in 1945.
  • It was divided by the 38th parallel.
• The USA feared overextending their military commitments and did not see Korea as vital economically or militarily.
  • The defensive strategy depended more on Japan.

Korean War Summary

• In June 1950, North Korea attacked South Korea.
• North Korea had the backing of the USSR and had received military aid, but Russian troops were not directly involved.
• It became a struggle between North Korea and the UN over control of South Korea.
• The UN committed an international force to fight against North Korean aggression.
• The bulk of the force was provided by the USA and Britain, fighting under the UN flag.
• UN forces fought for the unification of Korea by full-scale invasion of the North, reaching the Yalu River.
• North Korea, with the support of Chinese volunteers, drove the UN forces from the Chinese border.
• The war ended in stalemate, with both sides back at the original boundary of 38 degrees.
• The war did not end with a formal peace treaty.

North Korean Invasion

• There had already been violence in Korea, including the revolt on the island of Cheju and guerrilla activity.
• In Spring 1950, Stalin agreed to a North Korean attack.
• The ambitions of Kim and Rhee + Stalin's agreement to an attack + the US determination to defend South Korea = internationalized Korean War.
• The communist victory in China had freed up two divisions of North Korean troops.
• The USA had withdrawn all its forces from South Korea.
• The South was divided politically, with opposition being suppressed.
• Economically, the South was weaker than the North.
• Responsibility for monitoring Korea had passed to the UN rather than the USA, so it was less likely a multi-national force would be deployed and successful.

Causes of the Korean War

Aims/Actions of Kim Il Sung

• Armed by the USSR and militarily superior to South Korea.
• A unified Korea with himself as the leader.
• Pro-Soviet and pro-Chinese but independent Korea with a state-controlled economy.
• Only one party: the Communist Party.
• Kim asked the Soviets and Chinese for support, advice, and material for an attack.
• Thought his June 1950 invasion would inspire a popular rebellion in the south.
• Pushed and persuaded the Soviets and Chinese for support.
• Visited Moscow in 1949.
• Gave the USA a legitimate reason to get involved as he internationalized the conflict through seeking assistance.

Aims/Actions of Syngman Rhee

• A unified Korea with himself as the leader.
• Opposed trusteeship.
• Pro-American but independent Korea, capitalist economy and democracy (as long as he could rule as he pleased).
• Sought American support for an attack on the north in 1946 but was rejected.
• Most border clashes were initiated by South Korea.
• Hodge appointed half of the new 90-member legislative assembly, and the US gave large-scale financial aid.
• Lost support through growing authoritarianism and alienation of South Koreans.
• Could not improve the social, economic, and political situation.
• Cracked down on the South Korean Labour Party, so negotiation and unification were unlikely.

US Contribution to the Outbreak

• Convinced that the USSR and China were behind the North Korean attack.
• Imposed Syngman Rhee's regime and actively created two Koreas, using him as a puppet.
• The US supervised the economic and military development of the new nation.
• In January 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson failed to specify Korea as an area beyond the US defense perimeter.
• In January 1951, the Republican-dominated Congress rejected a bill for aid to Korea.
• Lack of clarity of US policy with Congress being opposed to maintaining large-scale forces in Korea and the withdrawal of US troops.
• Driven by the Red Scare and fear of Communism.
  • Truman believed that US security would be greatly threatened in SE Asia if SK fell to communism.
  • Truman was on the defensive after the fall of China and needed to prove his anti-communist stance.
• The US had sent the 7th fleet to Taiwan, and MacArthur declared his support of Jiang, seen as a threat to China.
• Test of the UN and belief in collective security and possible attempt to dominate the world economy.
• Truman pushed this through without a congressional declaration of war.
• Risked the appointment of MacArthur, who had an unrealistic idea of the situation in Korea.

Russian Support for Kim Il Sung

• Kim needed Stalin's approval because he viewed Stalin as the leader of world communism.
• Kim wanted Soviet military aid.
• Throughout 1949, Stalin was unenthusiastic and refused.
• After China became communist in late 1949, Stalin said 'the centre of world revolution is transferring to China and SE Asia.'
• The Soviet Union needed to prove itself to stop other Asian nations looking to Mao.
• The failures of the Berlin Blockade and the formation of NATO.
• Stalin feared a resurgent Japan, which was becoming more Pro US.
• Stalin needed more warm water ports that Korea could provide.
• Having signed over Port Arthur in Manchuria to China.
• No sign USA would fight and the UN could be neutralized by the Russian veto on the security council.
• Stalin provided Kim with the tanks that were crucial to the advance in summer 1950.
• Provided air support and military advisers, but no Soviet soldiers fought, and the Soviet navy remained inactive.
• Stalin changed his mind in March 1950.

Chinese Support for Kim

• Mao feared a resurgent Japan and was concerned about American influence in Korea.
• Korea bordered China's industry in Manchuria.
• Spring 1949: Mao promised Kim eventual support.
• Stalin encouraged Chinese intervention after Inchon, knowing that any Sino-American conflict would strengthen his position.
• The Chinese warned the USA that if US troops crossed the 38th parallel, China would intervene.
• The US had sent the 7th fleet to Taiwan, and MacArthur declared his support of Jiang, seen as a threat to China.
• NK had sent thousands of men to help fight the nationalists.