The Young Forget How MacArthur ‘Saved’ Korea …

It was fifty eight years ago today that the Korean War began. And while many South Koreans love and appreciate the United States for coming to their aid under the U.N. flag, increasing numbers of young South Koreans are not only oblivious to history, they regard the United States as the greatest threat to their nation.

This editorial from South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo laments the situation and lays out some of the troubling statistics:

“Thanks to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, South Korea was saved. As United Nations commander-in-chief for Korea, MacArthur directed the famous Incheon landing . If not for this, the Republic of Korea would have been erased from the world map. The Korean War was the worst catastrophe in the history of the Korean Peninsula, with a million dead or wounded and 10 million people cut off from their families. About 200,000 Korean and U.N. soldiers and 2,000 student-soldiers died in battle. Thanks to help from 20 nations, especially the United States, we recovered our land and overcame the ruin of the war … According to a poll of 1,016 middle and high school students in Korea, 43 percent didn’t know what year the war broke out. Only 49 percent knew that North Korea invaded South Korea. More shocking was that 28.4 percent pick the United States as the greatest threat to national security, followed by Japan (27.7 percent) and North Korea (24.5 percent).”

EDITORIAL

June 24, 2008

South Korea – Dong-A Ilbo – Original Article (English)

On June 25, 1950, the North Korean army invaded South Korean territory by crossing the 38th Parallel. When the roar of tanks and the sound of bombs broke the early silence of a peaceful Sunday morning, one third of South Korean forces were off duty. The near-defenseless government under then President Rhee Syng-man remained disorganized. Within three days North Korean forces had occupied Seoul, and within the month, they had advanced to the Nakdong River.

Thanks to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, South Korea was saved. As United Nations commander-in-chief for Korea, MacArthur directed the famous Incheon landing . If not for this, the Republic of Korea would have been erased from the world map. The Korean War was the worst catastrophe in the history of the Korean Peninsula, with a million dead or wounded and 10 million people cut off from their families. About 200,000 Korean and U.N. soldiers and 2,000 student-soldiers died in battle. Thanks to help from 20 nations, especially the United States, we recovered our land and overcame the ruin of the war to develop into an economy ranked in the world’s top 20 and founded upon liberal democracy and market economics.

According to a poll of 1,016 middle and high school students in Korea, 43 percent didn’t know what year the war broke out. Only 49 percent knew that North Korea invaded South Korea. More shocking was that 28.4 percent pick the United States as the greatest threat to national security, followed by Japan (27.7 percent) and North Korea (24.5 percent).

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing South Korean and North Korean coverage of the Korean War anniversary.