Module 5: Pusan to Inchon

Pusan to Inchon

The period between the establishment of the Pusan Perimeter in August 1950 and the Inchon Landings in September 1950 marked a critical phase in the Korean War, with the United Nations (primarily U.S.) and South Korean forces desperately fighting to hold the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula against the overwhelming advance of North Korean forces. After North Korea's rapid invasion and the fall of Seoul, the South Korean Army collapsed, and the North Korean forces pushed their southern counterparts into a small corner of the peninsula around the city of Pusan (now Busan).  U.S. forces arrived to help support the weak South Korean army, but found themselves pinned down in the area around the city, now called the "Pusan Perimeter."  U.S. and South Korean forces faced encirclement and defeat.

During this time, General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the United Nations forces in Korea, oversaw the defensive efforts of the beleaguered South Korean and U.S. forces. Despite being heavily outnumbered, with North Korean forces pushing steadily forward, MacArthur and his forces fought a stubborn defense, aided by reinforcements from the U.S. and other UN countries. The situation was dire but American aid ensured that the perimeter held, allowing the allied forces time to regroup, reorganize, and prepare for a counteroffensive.

The pivotal turning point came with the planning and execution of the Inchon Landings, an audacious amphibious operation devised by General MacArthur. The landings, which began on September 15, 1950, aimed to bypass the North Korean forces surrounding the Pusan Perimeter by attacking at the port city of Inchon, far to the north and near Seoul. The landings took the North Koreans by surprise, and the rapid success of the operation allowed U.N. forces to establish a crucial foothold behind enemy lines. This move, along with the subsequent re-taking of Seoul on September 28, marked the beginning of the North's retreat. The Inchon Landings, often regarded as a brilliant military maneuver, helped to shift the momentum of the war. Following the landings, UN forces, now under MacArthur's command, were able to push the North Korean forces back across the 38th parallel, recapturing Seoul and beginning the counteroffensive that would lead to the eventual recapture of much of Korea by UN forces, although this would soon lead to new challenges as the war evolved.