Korean War Interactive Battle Map (1950-1953) by Connor McManus

June 25, 1950: North Korean Invasion

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:47:08 UTC

North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel, launching a surprise attack against South Korea. With Soviet-supplied tanks and heavy artillery, the Korean People's Army (KPA) quickly pushed south, overwhelming South Korean defenses. This marked the beginning of the Korean War.

September 15, 1950: Incheon Landing

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:47:08 UTC

General MacArthur led a bold amphibious landing operation at Incheon (Operation Chromite). This strategic maneuver caught North Korean forces by surprise, cutting their supply lines and forcing a rapid retreat. The operation turned the tide of the war in UN forces' favor.

October 19, 1950: Fall of Pyongyang

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:47:08 UTC

UN forces captured Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. This victory marked the deepest advance into North Korean territory. However, this success would soon be challenged by the entrance of Chinese forces into the conflict.

January 4, 1951: Fall of Seoul

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:47:09 UTC

Chinese and North Korean forces recaptured Seoul for the second time. The city had already changed hands twice during the war, highlighting the conflict's back-and-forth nature. UN forces would later retake the city in March 1951.

July 27, 1953: Armistice Signed at Panmunjom

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:47:09 UTC

The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjom, establishing the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) roughly along the 38th parallel. While not a formal peace treaty, this agreement ended the active fighting in the Korean War.

Yalu River

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:50:26 UTC

In October [1950], the United Nations, urged by the United States Government, approved the movement of UN forces across the 38th parallel into North Korea in an effort to unify the country under a non-communist government. In spite of warnings issued by the Chinese Government, the United Nations forces moved toward the Yalu River, marking the North Korean border with Manchuria.

Yellow Sea

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:51:41 UTC

Lying between mainland China and the Korean peninsula, the Yellow Sea is one of the world's largest areas of continental shelf covered in shallow water, providing for rich fishing grounds and an important site for migratory birds. But decades of pollution is turning the sea to a colour other than yellow. [Courtesy of the World Wildlife Foundation]

Sea of Japan (East Sea)

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:53:04 UTC

Covering an area of 978000 km2, the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. [It is located between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.] [Courtesy of WorldAtlas]

Busan, South Korea

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:55:42 UTC

The South Korean army was desperate and in shambles [in June 1950]. Caught unprepared, they were no match for North Korean troops who streamed in single file toward the southern port city of Busan. Troops on the ground quickly realized that their rifle shells, bazookas and other artillery were no match for state of the art Soviet-made North Korean T-34 tanks. They also well knew that if the North Koreans captured Busan, the entire peninsula would fall to the communists.

[Courtesy of Korean War Legacy Foundation]

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 10:57:25 UTC

The DMZ is a 148-mile-long strip that incorporates territory from both North and South Korea. It is about 35 miles from South Korea's capital, Seoul. [The military troops from North and South Korea are not allowed to go here.]

[Courtesy of CBS News]

38th Parallel

cmcmanus66 — 2025-05-15 11:05:29 UTC

This was the original border between North and South Korea following the end of World War II. It's based on an imaginary line from a map.