What war on the Korean Peninsula lasted from 1950 to 1953?

The war on the Korean Peninsula that lasted from 1950 to 1953 was the Korean War.

It began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. The conflict quickly became an international Cold War confrontation: a United Nations force led by the United States defended South Korea, while China entered the war on North Korea’s side. The Soviet Union supported North Korea with equipment and military assistance.

The fighting ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953, rather than a formal peace treaty. The Korean Demilitarized Zone was established near the 38th parallel, and the peninsula remained divided between North and South Korea.

A common mix-up is confusing the Korean War with the Chinese Civil War or the Vietnam War. The Korean War was fought primarily on the Korean Peninsula, and its unresolved political status means the two Koreas technically remain at war.