1950–1953 Korean War

Over view
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea, Korea Strait, Cheju Strait and Korea Bay. It extends southwards for about 684 miles (1,100 km) from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan (In Korea known as Donghae/East Sea) to the east, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water. The peninsula's area is 219,140 sq km (84,610 sq miles), with a total coastline length of 8,458 km (5,255 miles). The Southern population has grown greatly since 1955, but the Northern population has only had modest groath.


 * 1) Countries: North Korea/North Korea.
 * 2) Borders on: China, Russia, Sea of Japan, East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Korea Strait.
 * 3) Highest point: Paektu Mountain 2,744 m (9,003 ft).
 * 4) Lowest point: sea level.
 * 5) Length: 1,100 km (684 mi), north to south.
 * 6) Area: 220,847 km2 (85,270 sq mi).
 * 7) Population: 74,461,933 (2012).
 * 8) Population density: 337 / km2 (873 / sq mi).

Climate and terrain
Circa ~70% of the Korean Peninsula is covered by mountains, although there are some arable lands on the plains between the mountain ranges. The eastern Taebaek Mountains are a mountain range that stretches across North Korea and South Korea. They form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula, with others forming near the border with China. The west coast, including Seoul and Pyongyang, and the souhern region south of Busan (Pusan) is a flat arable land.

The climate of Korea differs dramatically from north to south. The southern regions experience a relatively warm and wet climate similar to that of Japan, affected by warm ocean waters including the East Korea Warm Current. The northern regions experience a colder and to some extent more inland climate, in common with Manchuria. For example, the annual precipitation of the Yalu River valley (600 mm (24 in)) is less than half of that on the south coast (1,500 mm (59 in)). Likewise, there is a 20 °C (36 °F) difference in January temperature between the peninsula's southern and northern tips The entire peninsula, however, is affected by similar general patterns, including the East Asian monsoon in midsummer and the frequent incidence of typhoons in autumn. The majority of rainfall takes place during the summer months, with nearly half during the monsoon alone. Winters are cold, with January temperatures typically below freezing outside of Jeju Island. Winter precipitation is minimal, with little snow accumulation outside of mountainous areas.

Major settlements
Busan, a large port city in South Korea, is known for its beaches, mountains and temples. Busy Haeundae Beach has a Folk Square with traditional games such as tug-of-war, while Gwangalli Beach is a nightlife hub with views of modern Diamond Bridge. Beomeosa, a Buddhist temple built in 678 C.E., is at the base of Geumjeong Mountain, which offers challenging hikes.

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a sprawling metropolis where hyper-modern skyscrapers, high-tech subways and pop culture meet Buddhist temples, palaces and street markets. Notable attractions include futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a convention hall with curving architecture and a rooftop park; Gyeongbokgung Palace, which once had more than 7,000 rooms; and Jogyesa Temple, site of centuries-old locust and pine trees.

Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. It is a lot poorer than Seoul.

Chŏngjin is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyong Province and the country's third largest city. It is sometimes called the City of Iron. The Chongjin concentration camp is a forced labour camp in North Korea for political prisoners. The official name is Kwan-li-so (English: Penal-labour Colony) No. 25.

The city Chongjin was a small fishing village prior to the Japanese annexation of Korea and its date of establishment is distant, but unknown. The Chinese characters for its name mean 'clear river crossing'. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Japanese forces landed at Chongjin, and established a supply base due to its proximity to the front lines in Manchuria. The Japanese remained after the end of the war, and in 1908, declared the city an open trading port both for transport of Korean resources and as a stopping point for resources from China.

Rivers and mineral resources
The Taebaek Mountains or T’aebaek Mountains, (Korean: T’aebaek-sanmaek) are economically, important for the mining of iron, coal, tungsten, timber, fluorite, and limestone. Many of the slopes are extensively covered in forests. Coal and manganese are also present in the northern pats of the DPRK.

The Taebaek Mountains, (Korean: T’aebaek-sanmaek) are the sources of South Korea’s most important rivers, among them the Han, Naktong and Kŭm.

Languages
The Koreanic languages is a language family consisting of the modern Korean language together with extinct ancient relatives closer to it than to any proposed links with Mongolic, Turkic, Tungusic, or Japanese. Among extant languages, Korean is considered by most linguists to be a language isolate, and by others as part of the widely rejected Altaic family. The Jeju language of Jeju Island, considered by some as a dialect of modern Korean, is distinct enough to be considered a language in its own right by other authorities. Some consider that rather than being a language isolate, Korean forms a small language family together with Jeju.

North Korean standard language or Munhwaŏ (문화어, 文化語) is the North Korean standard version of Korean language. The Pyongan dialect (평안도 사투리: p'yŏngando sat'uri), alternatively Northwestern Korean (서북 방언: sŏbuk pangŏn, 西北方言), is the Korean dialect of the northwestern Korean peninsula and neighboring parts of China. It has influenced the standard language of North Korea, but is not the basis of it, which remains Seoul dialect.

The Gyeonggi (경기 방언) or Seoul dialect (서울말) of Korean is the basis of the standard language of both North and South Korea. It is spoken in the Seoul National Capital Area in South Korea, which includes Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi, as well as in Kaesong in North Korea. The vowels for e and ae are merged for young speakers. Vowel length is not distinguished consistently, if at all. The Central Korean dialect is also popular and wide spread. Korean Street Slang is common in Busan (Pusan) and Seoul. Busan and Pyongyang also have a local accents.

English and Chinese are also spoken in the ROK and Russian and Chinese are also spoken in the DPRK.

Historical background
The name Korea (Korean: 조선반도 (Hanja: 朝鮮半島; MR: Chosŏn Pando) in North Korea, Korean: 한반도 (Hanja: 韓半島; RR: Han Bando) in South Korea) is derived from the Kingdom of Goguryeo, also spelled as Koryŏ. Korea had been an independent kingdom or Kingdoms in medieval times, but later had been de facto economically dominated by China and Japan since about 1850. After a short period isolationist de jure Independence; all be it with Chines, Japanese, Russian, French and American interference; the Korean Empire of 1897–1910 was annexed by Japan from 1910 to 1945, when it was finally devised between the USSR and the USA.

During World War II, Koreans at home were forced to support the Japanese war effort. Tens of thousands of men were conscripted into Japan's military. Around 200,000 girls and women, many from Korea, were forced to engage in sexual services for the Japanese military, with the euphemism "comfort women".

Koreans were forced to adopt Japanese names. Worship at Japanese Shinto shrines was made compulsory. The school curriculum was radically modified to eliminate teaching in the Korean language and history. Numerous Korean cultural artifacts were destroyed or taken to Japan.

Resistance groups known as Dongnipgun (Liberation Army) operated along the Sino-Korean border, fighting guerrilla warfare against Japanese forces. Some of them took part in allied action in China and parts of South East Asia. One of the guerrilla leaders was the communist Kim Il-sung, who later became the leader of North Korea.

Japan's racial hatred warped Korea's attitude to the world for about the next 40 years.

The Cold War problem
The division of Korea between North and South Korea was the result of the Allied victory in World War II in 1945, ending the Empire of Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea by General Order No. 1. The United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country with the zone of control along the 38th parallel.

With the onset of the Cold War, negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union failed to lead to an independent, unified Korea. In 1948, UN-supervised elections were held in the US-occupied south only. The north became a Stalinist client state-come-dictatorship.

History
The 1950–1953 Korean War was the first East-West armed clash. The earlier Berlin airlift was not a major armed clash, but just a armed blockade and counter-blockade air lift.

N. Korea pushes south
The military of North Korea invaded the South on 25 June 1950 and swiftly overran most of the country.

Cold, damp, flesh rotting disorders, Ricketsia, dentistry and hemorrhagic fever
Korean hemorrhagic fever\epidemic hemorrhagic fever\nephropathis epidemica devastated any one who had it and infected many fighters on all sides. The species of Hantavirus virose that cause Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) include the horrific Hantaan River Feaver. Hantavirus is named for the Hantan River area in South Korea where an early outbreak was observed. The virus was isolated in the late 1970s by Karl M. Johnson and Ho-Wang Lee.

These are all Hantavirus- Asama virus Gou virus Hantaan River virus Dobrava-Belgrade virus Saaremaa virus Seoul virus Puumala virus Serang virus Thailand virus Thottapalayam virus Nova virus

Additionally, low moral, depression, Ricketsia, dentistry, frost bite, gas gangrene and trench foot also took there toll.

A possible Soviet and a suggested American atomic war plan
With (reportedly 5) atomic weapons already on Okinawa, and it being suggested that General Curtis LeMay be put in charge of the actual drops. All ranking officials plus The President of the U.S. agreed to the plan, so the bombers were just waiting President Truman's official "word" to launch an attack. Truman refused to rule out atomic weapons, but gave up when General MacArther gobbing off about where he wanted nuked and how heavily they should be nuked. As the twit bragged off to his military and political peers the element of surprise was lost and the Chinese became concerned by what there spies were telling them.

The Brits, French and Aussies did not like the use of nukes. Adding to the problem was that the Soviet Primer had jokingly threatened to drop a nuke on US forces in Korea at a Moscow party conference. The USA had ~15 nuke, the USSR had ~5 and the UK had 1.

Famous veterans
Neil Armstrong was an airman in this war.

Legacy
It is somewhat politically ironic that after 70 years they are still legally at war and that the only stopping factor is the USA and China being less interested it killing each other than the Koreans are.

Nation summery
The Southern economy boomed between 1980 and 20110. The Northern economy folded since 1995.

DPKR
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
 * Capital: Pyongyang
 * Supreme leader: Kim Jong-un
 * Premier: Pak Pong-ju
 * Population: 24.9 million (2013) World Bank
 * Currency: North Korean won
 * Official languages: Korean (Pyongyang and Northern dialects and Pyongyang acent)
 * Official script: Chosŏn'gŭl
 * Demonym: North Korean\Korean
 * Government: Unitary Juche, one-party, totalitarian state (various interpretations)

The North Korean famine, which together with the accompanying general economic crisis are known as the Arduous March (Hangul: 북한기근; Chosŏn'gŭl: 고난의 행군) in North Korea, occurred in North Korea from 1994 to 1998. The famine stemmed from a variety of factors such as economic mismanagement, natural disasters, collapse of the Soviet bloc, military-first policy and growing isolationism. The death of Kim Il-sung (Chosŏn'gŭl: 김일성; English pronunciation: /ˈkɪm ˈɪlˈsʊŋ, ˈsʌŋ/; Korean pronunciation: [kim ils͈ʌŋ]; born Kim Sŏng-ju (김성주); 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was also a major social factor. Deaths were estimated at 0.24 to 3.5 million.

Also see

 * 1) USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
 * 2) DPRK
 * 3) Vietnam War
 * 4) Malaya Emergency