"into joining the North Korean military. The UN demanded that South Korean POWs in the North Korean military also be repatriated. The Communists claimed that all those former POWs who were serving in their forces had volunteered to do so and refuted this as ""a conspiracy to carry away more than one hundred thousand soldiers from the People's Army."" South Korea's President Syngman Rhee had been reluctant about the Armistice talks to begin with and was particularly opposed to any involuntary repatriation of former South Koreans to North Korea. Many other South Korean leaders had also been unhappy with the"
"Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (, ; Lunisolar calendar , 1875 – July 19, 1965) was a South Korean politician, the first and the last Head of State of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and President of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. His three-term presidency of South Korea (August 1948 to April 1960) was strongly affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He led South Korea through the Korean War. His presidency ended in resignation following popular protests against a disputed election. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist authoritarian dictator and is thought to have"
"1950, North Korea invaded the South, beginning the Korean War, which ended in stalemate in 1953. On July 27, 1953, after the Korean War, despite President Syngman Rhee disagreement with the United States' pursuit of a ceasefire with China and separation of North and South Korea, under the U.S. - led United Nations intervention, the two Koreas were divided. After the Geneva Conference (1954), President Rhee hoped the unification under the general election of the two Koreas by the surveillance of the United Nations, but due to the many starved soldiers and political problems after the war, Rhee resigned from"
"South Korean Gallup poll on the greatest president in South Korean history, Park topped the chart with an approval rating of 44%. Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee (; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and general who served as the President of South Korea from 1963 until his assassination in 1979, assuming that office after first ruling the country as head of a military junta installed by the May 16 coup in 1961. Before his presidency, he was the chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction from 1961 to 1963 after a career as"
"invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950, which begun the Korean War. The UN Security Council condemned the North Korean action by a 9–0 resolution (with the Soviet Union absent) and called upon its member nations to come to the aid of South Korea. The United States and 15 other nations formed a ""UN force"" to pursue this action. In a press conference on 29 June 1950, U.S. President Harry S. Truman characterized these hostilities as not being a ""war"" but a ""police action"". The United Nations has issued Security Council Resolutions that declared some wars to be legal actions"
"Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung, or Kim Dae Jung (; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician who served as President of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, the only Korean Nobel Prize recipient in history. He was sometimes referred to as the ""Nelson Mandela of South Korea"". Kim was born on 6 January 1924, but he later registered his birth date to 3 December 1925 to avoid conscription during the time when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. Kim was the second of seven children to middle-class farmers. Kim"
"Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee (; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and general who served as the President of South Korea from 1963 until his assassination in 1979, assuming that office after first ruling the country as head of a military junta installed by the May 16 coup in 1961. Before his presidency, he was the chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction from 1961 to 1963 after a career as a military leader in the South Korean army. Park's coup brought an end to the interim government of the Second Republic and"
"Korean War The Korean War (in South Korean , ""Korean War""; in North Korean , ""Fatherland: Liberation War""; 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was a war between North Korea (with the support of China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (with the principal support of the United States). The war began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea following a series of clashes along the border. As a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Korea had been split into two sovereign states. Both governments claimed to be"
"the Korean War. In 1960, a student uprising (the ""April 19 Revolution"") led to the resignation of the autocratic President Syngman Rhee. A period of political instability followed, broken by General Park Chung-hee's May 16 coup against the weak and ineffectual government the next year. Park took over as president until his assassination in 1979, overseeing rapid export-led economic growth as well as implementing political repression. Park was heavily criticised as a ruthless military dictator, who in 1972 extended his rule by creating a new constitution, which gave the president sweeping (almost dictatorial) powers and permitted him to run for"
"situation of the U.S. forces stationed there. Soon thereafter, South Korea entered the Vietnam War, eventually sending a total of 300,000 soldiers to fight alongside the United States and South Vietnam. Third Republic of Korea The Third Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from 1963 to 1972. It was presented as a return to civilian rule after a period of rule by the military junta known as the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction which in 1961 had overthrown the Second Republic of South Korea. However, throughout this period the presidency was held by Park Chung-hee, who"
"Kim Young-sam Kim Young-sam (; or ; 20 December 1927 – 22 November 2015) was a South Korean politician and democratic activist, who served as President of South Korea from 1993 to 1998. From 1961, he spent almost 30 years as one of the leaders of the South Korean opposition, and one of the most powerful rivals to the authoritarian regimes of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan. Elected president in 1992, Kim became the first civilian to hold the office in over 30 years. He was inaugurated on 25 February 1993, and served a single five-year term, presiding over a"
"by either itself or the new Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). Nevertheless, the elections were held, and the exiled Korean leader, Syngman Rhee, was inaugurated president of the new Republic of Korea (South Korea) on July 24, 1948. The American and Soviet occupations of Korean ended soon after, leaving the Korean peninsula divided. According to Edwards, most Americans were glad to be gone. By 1950, Korea, or Far Eastern affairs in general, had become of such small importance to the Americans that on January 5, 1950, President Harry Truman said that he would not intervene in the clash"
"Chun Doo-hwan Chun Doo-hwan ( or ; born 18 January 1931) is a South Korean politician and former South Korean army general who served as the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988, ruling as an unelected coup leader from December 1979 to September 1980 and as elected president from 1980 to 1988. Chun was sentenced to death in 1996 for his role in the Gwangju Massacre but was later pardoned by President Kim Young-sam, with the advice of then President-elect Kim Dae-jung, whom Chun's administration had sentenced to death some 20 years earlier. Chun was born on 18"
"was survived by his children, two sons and three daughters, as well as his five younger sisters. Kim Young-sam Kim Young-sam (; or ; 20 December 1927 – 22 November 2015) was a South Korean politician and democratic activist, who served as President of South Korea from 1993 to 1998. From 1961, he spent almost 30 years as one of the leaders of the South Korean opposition, and one of the most powerful rivals to the authoritarian regimes of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan. Elected president in 1992, Kim became the first civilian to hold the office in over 30"
"Third Republic of Korea The Third Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from 1963 to 1972. It was presented as a return to civilian rule after a period of rule by the military junta known as the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction which in 1961 had overthrown the Second Republic of South Korea. However, throughout this period the presidency was held by Park Chung-hee, who is the father of Park Geun-hye (who was president of South Korea between February 2013 and March 2017), who had also been an influential member of the junta. He left his"
"Roh Tae-woo Roh Tae-woo (Korean:노태우;Hanja:盧泰愚);; born December 4, 1932) is a former South Korean politician and ROK Army general who served as President of South Korea from 1988 to 1993. Roh was born on December 4 1932, into a farming family, Dalseong, near Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province. His father, a low-echelon civil officer in the district, died in a car accident when Roh was seven years old. With his uncle's help, Roh first enrolled at the Taegu Technical School but transferred to the local Kyongbuk High School where he was an above-average student. His high school record describes him as"
"Choi Kyu-hah Choi Kyu-hah ( or ; July 16, 1919 – October 22, 2006), also spelled Choi Kyu-ha, was President of South Korea between 1979 and 1980. Choi was born in Wonju, Gangwon Province when Korea was a part of the Empire of Japan. This area today is in South Korea. Choi served as Ambassador to Malaysia from 1964 to 1967, foreign minister from 1967 to 1971; and as prime minister from 1975 to 1979. After the assassination of Park Chung-hee in 1979, Choi became acting president; the prime minister stood next in line for the presidency under ""Article 48"""
"President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong-un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit in May 2018. Prior to World War II, Korea was one country for over one thousand years, known previously as Goryeo and Joseon. After World War II, Korea was divided into two countries along the 38th parallel (now the Korean Demilitarized Zone). North Korea was administered by the Soviet Union in the years immediately following the war, with South Korea being managed by the United States. In 1950, North Korea invaded the South, beginning the"
"with NSC68, a report which stated that all communist activities were controlled by Joseph Stalin, leader of the USSR, and called for military and economic aid to any country deemed to be resisting Communist threats, the United States sent troops to South Korea when it was invaded by the North on June 25, 1950. While it contradicted the report, in that the United States was once again at war (the report stated that the United States should avoid war), President Harry S. Truman feared a 'domino effect,' and wanted to prevent Communism spreading, stating: If we let Korea down, the"
"War, from the first invasion of South Korea in June 1950 till the was signed in July 1953. In 1953, Choe was promoted to Vice Marshal and was made the Minister of Defence. In September 1957, he was removed from his position as Minister of Defense and made the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, a largely ceremonial position. In this post, he was North Korea's nominal head of state. He was appointed as Vice President by the Supreme People's Assembly in 1972 and he left the office in 1974. He died in Pyongyang in 1976. In"
"entered NATO in 1952, and the foundation was laid for bilateral diplomatic and trade relations with South Korea. <br> Korean War The Korean War (in South Korean , ""Korean War""; in North Korean , ""Fatherland: Liberation War""; 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was a war between North Korea (with the support of China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (with the principal support of the United States). The war began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea following a series of clashes along the border. As a product of the Cold War between the"
"18, 1990. Yun Posun Yun Posun (; or ; August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was a Korean independence activist and politician, who served as President of South Korea from 1960 to 1962 before being replaced by the long-serving Park Chung-hee as a result of the May 16 coup in 1961. Having entered politics after World War II, Yun served as Secretary to Korea's Chief of Staff in 1947; and was Mayor of Seoul in 1948. He served as Commerce Minister for the newly liberated Korea from 1949–1950. In 1955 Yun helped establish the South Korean Democratic Party. Yun"
"presidents, The speech, written by journalist Herbert Bayard Swope, proclaimed, ""Let us not be deceived: we are today in the midst of a cold war."" Newspaper columnist Walter Lippmann gave the term wide currency with his book ""The Cold War""; when asked in 1947 about the source of the term, Lippmann traced it to a French term from the 1930s, ""la guerre froide"". The war, which lasted from June 25, 1950, until the was signed on July 27, 1953, started as a civil war between communist North Korea and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The United States, acting on"
"to the conflict, hoping to unite Korea under United Nations auspices and for withdrawal of all foreign forces. Even though the Chinese and North Koreans were exhausted by the war and were prepared to end it by late 1952, Stalin insisted that they continue fighting, and the Armistice was approved only in July 1953, after Stalin's death. North Korean leader Kim Il Sung created a highly centralized, totalitarian dictatorship—which continues to date—according himself unlimited power and generating a formidable cult of personality. In the South, the American-backed strongman Syngman Rhee ran a significantly less brutal but deeply corrupt and authoritarian"
"a long-term military commitment in the region, Truman withdrew U.S. soldiers from the Korean Peninsula in 1949. The Soviet Union also withdrew their soldiers from Korea in 1949, but continued to supply North Korea with military aid. On June 25, 1950, Kim Il-sung's Korean People's Army invaded South Korea, starting the Korean War. In the early weeks of the war, the North Koreans easily pushed back their southern counterparts. The Soviet Union was not directly involved, though Kim did win Stalin's approval before launching the invasion. Truman, meanwhile, did not view Korea itself as a vital region in the Cold"
"South Korea in 1950, triggering an intervention in defense of South Korea by the United Nations led by the United States. Following the military stalemate in the Korean War, a ceasefire was signed on 27 July 1953. He was the second longest-serving non-royal head of state/government in the 20th century, in office for more than 48 years. Under his leadership, North Korea became a communist state with a publicly owned and planned economy. It had close political and economic relations with the Soviet Union. By the 1960s, North Korea enjoyed a standard of living higher than the South, which was"
"to French Indochina as well as aid to the Nationalist Chinese during the Chinese Civil War which resumed after the end of World War II (1945–1949). On 25 June 1950, the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (e.g., North Korea) invaded South Korea. On 27 June, the United Nations Security Council voted to assist the South Koreans in resisting the invasion. President Harry Truman authorized General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (commander of the US occupying forces in Japan) to commit units to the battle. MacArthur ordered General George E. Stratemeyer, CIC of FEAF, to attack attacking"
"about 20,000 alleged communists imprisoned. Under the leadership of Kim Il-sung, the Korean People's Army attacked from the north on 25 June 1950, starting the Korean War. According to Kim Mansik, who was a military police superior officer, President Syngman Rhee ordered the execution of people related to either the Bodo League or the South Korean Workers Party on 27 June 1950. The first massacre was started one day later in Hoengseong, Gangwon-do on 28 June. Retreating South Korean forces and anti-communist groups executed the alleged communist prisoners, along with many of the Bodo League members. The executions were performed"
"Yun Posun Yun Posun (; or ; August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was a Korean independence activist and politician, who served as President of South Korea from 1960 to 1962 before being replaced by the long-serving Park Chung-hee as a result of the May 16 coup in 1961. Having entered politics after World War II, Yun served as Secretary to Korea's Chief of Staff in 1947; and was Mayor of Seoul in 1948. He served as Commerce Minister for the newly liberated Korea from 1949–1950. In 1955 Yun helped establish the South Korean Democratic Party. Yun Posun was"
"south. Most of South Korea's forces retreated in the face of the invasion, and by June 28, the North Koreans had captured Seoul, South Korea's capital, forcing the government and its shattered forces to withdraw south. The United Nations Security Council voted to send assistance to the collapsing country. US President Harry S. Truman subsequently ordered ground troops into the nation. However, US forces in the Far East had been steadily decreasing since the end of World War II five years earlier. At the time, the closest forces were the 24th Infantry Division of the Eighth United States Army, which"
"allied countries (on the Republicans' side). Though the war never officially ended, the fighting ended in 1953 with an armistice that left Korea divided into two nations, North Korea and South Korea. Mao Zedong's decision to take on the U.S. in the Korean War was a direct attempt to confront what the Communist bloc viewed as the strongest anti-Communist power in the world, undertaken at a time when the Chinese Communist regime was still consolidating its own power after winning the Chinese Civil War. President Eisenhower was the first to refer to countries in danger of Communist takeover as dominoes,"
"Roh Moo-hyun Roh Moo-hyun (; ) (1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician who served as President of South Korea (2003–2008). Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his election to the presidency. He achieved a large following among younger internet users, particularly at the website OhMyNews, which aided his success in the presidential election. Roh's election was notable for the arrival in power of a new generation of"
"Terentii Shtykov Terentii Fomich Shtykov (Russian:Терентий Штыков; Korean:테렌티 스티코프; – 25 October 1964) was effectively the first supreme leader of North Korea, as the ""de facto"" head of its 1945-1948 military occupation and the first Soviet Ambassador to North Korea from 1948 until 1950. Shtykov's support for Kim Il-sung was crucial in Kim's rise to power, and the two persuaded Stalin to allow the Korean War to begin in June 1950. A protégé of the influential politician Andrei Zhdanov, General Shtykov served as a political commissar during World War II, ending up on the Military Council of the Primorskiy Military"