Inchon reversed the war, the UN advance north brought China in, and stalemate led to an armistice in 1953.
By August 1950, UN and South Korean forces were pushed into a small area around Pusan. In September, MacArthur landed at Inchon behind North Korean lines and recaptured Seoul.
In October 1950, UN forces crossed the 38th parallel and advanced towards the Yalu River, China's border. The aim had shifted from containment to rollback: reunifying Korea under the south.
China warned that it would intervene. In October and November 1950, Chinese troops entered the war in large numbers and drove UN forces back south. Mao acted to protect China's border and revolution, to support a fellow communist state, and to strengthen China's position with Stalin. The USSR gave weapons and some hidden air support but avoided open combat.
MacArthur wanted to widen the war against China. Truman dismissed him in April 1951 to keep the war limited. Front lines settled near the 38th parallel. Armistice talks began in July 1951 but dragged on, mainly over prisoners of war who did not want to go home. The armistice was signed on 27 July 1953. No peace treaty followed.
- Inchon landing
- September 1950.
- Chinese intervention
- October-November 1950.
- MacArthur dismissed
- April 1951.
- Armistice
- 27 July 1953; no peace treaty.
Worked example: Containment versus rollback
A question asks how US aims changed during the war.
- June 1950: aim to restore South Korea, which is containment.
- October 1950: crossing the 38th parallel to unify Korea, which is rollback.
- After China intervened: return to limited war and containment.
- MacArthur's dismissal shows Truman's choice to keep the war limited.
Watch out for this
The Korean War ended with a peace treaty in 1953.
It ended with an armistice, a ceasefire agreement. No peace treaty has been signed, and Korea remains divided.
Check your understanding
Why did China enter the war in late 1950?
- UN forces crossed the 38th parallel and approached China's border on the Yalu River.
- North Korea invaded China.
- The USSR ordered China to replace Soviet troops already fighting.