Who invaded South Korea in 1950 to begin the Korean War?

North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 to begin the Korean War. On June 25, North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel, the dividing line between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the U.S.-backed Republic of Korea.

The invasion was led by Kim Il Sung’s Korean People’s Army, which used artillery, infantry, and Soviet-supplied T-34 tanks. North Korean forces advanced rapidly and captured Seoul, South Korea’s capital, within days. The attack aimed to reunify the peninsula under communist rule.

The United Nations condemned the invasion and authorized an international military response, with the United States providing most of the forces. China later entered the conflict on North Korea’s side. The war eventually settled into a prolonged stalemate near the original dividing line.

An armistice ended active fighting on July 27, 1953, but no formal peace treaty followed. The Korean Peninsula remains divided, with the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.