Korea.. The War That Time Forgot

It is often dubbed the “forgotten war” by proud veterans who feel the conflict doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Thousands of Brits fought bravely in the Korean War which began 70 years ago today. And while the fighting lasted three years, the effects are still being felt around the world. Here James Moore has put together the ultimate Q&A about it.

- James Moore

How did it start? During World War Two, Korea had been occupied by the defeated Japanese and after 1945 it was split in two along the 38th parallel.

The Soviet-backed north became communist under Kim Il-sung, while the capitalist south was led by President Syngman Rhee. But both governments laid claim to the whole Korean peninsula. Amid tensions between East and West, North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950.

Did it nearly trigger World War Three? The North Korean People’s Army, supplied with Russian tanks and equipment, soon pushed the South’s forces to the point of defeat.