Korean War

American  

[kuh-ree-uhn wawr, kaw-, koh-] / kəˈri ən ˈwɔr, kɔ-, koʊ- /

noun

1. a war begun on June 25, 1950, when North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea, which was subsequently supported by the United States and numerous allies within the United Nations: armistice signed July 27, 1953.

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Korean War British  

noun

1. the war (1950–53) fought between North Korea, aided by Communist China, and South Korea, supported by the US and other members of the UN

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Korean War Cultural  

1. A war, also called the Korean conflict, fought in the early 1950s between the United Nations, supported by the United States, and the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). The war began in 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations declared North Korea the aggressor and sent military aid to the South Korean army. President Harry S. Truman declared the war a “police action” because he never asked Congress to pass an official declaration of war. He thereby established a precedent for President Lyndon Johnson, who committed troops to the Vietnam War without ever seeking a congressional mandate for his action. General Douglas MacArthur commanded the United Nations troops, who were mostly from the United States. The tide turned against North Korea with the landings at Inchon, and its troops were pushed back into the north; but reinforcements from the People's Republic of China soon allowed the North Koreans to regain lost territory. In 1953, with neither side having a prospect of victory, a truce was signed. In the course of the war, President Truman removed MacArthur from his command for insubordination. (See Truman-MacArthur controversy.)

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Compare meaning

How does korean-war compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Korean War vs. Vietnam War

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Korean War

Fighting stopped in the Korean War in 1953, but the two countries never signed a peace treaty and conflict is a very real worry in that part of the world.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

More than a million mines that are remnants of the Korean War are estimated to still be in the DMZ.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul previously said on Tuesday that the blasts were a "clear" violation of the 1953 armistice, which halted active combat in the Korean War.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Max Schumacher was a Marine combat pilot in the Korean War.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

People acted like it was the Fourth of July, and the Korean War had just been declared over.

From "Mississippi Trial, 1955" by Chris Crowe

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