The Importance of the Korean War

The significance of the Korean War simply cannot be overlooked. The events that took place, as saddening as they may be, hold great importance in history. To begin with, the war played a huge role in the development of the Cold War, a rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. On June 27, 1950, the United States and many UN countries joined together to defend South Korea in hopes to prevent communism and the Soviet’s impact. In November of the same year, China entered the war to side with North Korea in fear of American troops getting too close to its border. The war ended with the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, but no peace treaty was ever truly signed. The war was considered incomplete in a way, further solidifying the world’s most heavily fortified border: the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.

During this historical era, there were many hardships faced due to communist rule. In 1950, the government of North Korea had citizens follow several strict rules, some including no criticism of the government and no travel without a permit. Moreover, during this period people faced oppression for being women. Girls were typically taken out of education or received no education in order to learn household chores for marriage at an early age. Contrarily, boys were considered very valuable and were sent to school to pursue learning. Additionally, all refugees struggled through the entirety of the war, always being closely packed together and desperately hungry and cold. During bombings, a large number of people were separated from their families and had no choice but to make the long journey themselves. This was especially tough on children since they had no guidance or parental care.

Refugees making their journey to Busan were willing to escape at any cost, and that was proven during the train ride on the Gyeongbu Line, where countless rooftop riders died whilst falling off. Millions of people met their death during this war in a handful of devastating ways, ranging from execution for going against the state to city bombings. However, if North Koreans did not try to cross the border, risking their lives to get away from harsh communism, then many of them would never have been free.