How Did The Vietnam War Influence South Korea

Korea has constantly been a battleground for conflicting ideologies and nations, the most prominent of all was the division of the Peninsula into half. Right from the beginning, Korea was under China’s sphere of influence. When the Japanese became greedy for more resources and land, its first target was Korea since it was the closest to Japan. They then gained control of Korea after the First Sino-Japanese war in 1895. Thereafter defeating Russian 1904, who wanted Korea to defend its interest in Manchuria, and using its victory to annexed Korea in 1910. Initially Japan wanted to rule the Koreans through the Royal Family, however the Royal Family wanted independence. Hence, their Queen, Myeongseong, collaborated with the Soviets in an attempt
to resist the Japanese. The Japanese were thus enraged, assassinated the Queen and established the last Joseon Emperor Sunjong as a puppet leader. After he died, Korea was in the complete control of the Japanese. The Japanese rule was harsh and they tried to over right the Korean culture and language, for example they made it compulsory for the Koreans’ second name to be in Japanese. Any opposition will be met with oppression.
After World War II, when Japan was defeated, there was a glimmer of hope for Korea to be finally free.
The Allies decision for their post-war fate was that the Peninsula to be divided into two parts, with Russians in the North and the Americans in the South, separated along the 38th Parallel. The North following the USSR has a communist regime, later ceding influence to China, while the South has a capitalist system, modeled after the USA. Kim Il Sung was the leader of the Provisional Communist Government established in North Korea with the Soviets’ support and Syngman Rhee was elected as the first President of South Korea, with support from USA. Both the leaders tried to gain control of the whole Peninsula through violence. Kim made several trips to USSR and manage to successfully convince Stalin to provide military and economic support to the North so that they would be able to reunify Korea under the Communist Regime. Initially, Stalin was reluctant in helping the North, even though he badly needed the incorporation of Korea into its communist bloc to provide them with a base to spread communism to the rest of Asia. But once China joined the Soviets as a communist country after the Chinese Communist Party had won the Civil War back in China, they both signed the Sino-Soviet alliance to come to each other aid when attacked. Thus, Stalin was not so worried to be in a war alone with USA, and was more willing to help Kim in his conquest for the South. However, Rhee on the
other hand, was not so successful in getting military aid from USA as his rule of South Korea was increasing authoritarian and seemed to be intolerant of his political enemies, which was a big contrast to ideal democratic leader that US had in mind. Hence, USA was afraid that Rhee would be rash once he received their support and dragged them into an undesirable war with the Soviets. It also did not want to give Rhee the impression that USA would definitely help South Korea in times of war, hence making sure that he would think twice before launching an attack on the North.
With the Soviets providing military equipment and training on one hand, and the experienced Koreans soldiers who fought during the Chinese Civil War on the other hand, North Korea gained an upper hand against the South, who did not have much support from USA, thus having a poorly equipped army.
Tension continued to grow along the borders which led to frequent clashes, fierce fighting and heavy casualties. However, that was that far a South Korean army could go without the support of USA. Due to Rhee’s constant provocation of the border clashes, USA was afraid of being dragged into another war, this time with the Soviets and China, thus even though it did not want communism to spread to South Korea, it still limit its support for South Korea. Hence on 25 June 1950 when North Korea launched a surprise attack on the South with the support of the Soviets it was expecting a quick victory. The NKPA advances rapidly to the South, pushing the South forces all the way to Pusan. This is when USA managed to convince the UN to aid the South in the war against the communist to prevent the spread of it. This act received a unanimous vote, due to the absence of the Soviet Union in an attempt to boycott the conference as the UN gave a seat to the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead of the People Republic of China (Communist China). General Douglas MacArthur then led the United Nations Joint Command in the Incheon landing to regain control of South Korean capital, Seoul. They managed to
successfully push the North Koreans back to the 38th Parallel. MacArthur was also given the permission to invade North Korea if China entered the war. China, on the other hand, threatened to intervene if the UN forces came near the Yalu river. Due to the Sino-Soviet alliance, once China is at war, the Soviets would be dragged in. Hence, USA became worried and threatened to drop an atomic bomb on North Korea to prevent the spread of communism to South Korea. However, the Soviet Union was not afraid as they too had invented the atomic bomb. Finally when MacArthur issued an ultimatum to China in early 1951, threatening to destroy it unless it surrender, he was fired by US President Truman for defiance, as Truman was afraid that USA would be drawn into an unnecessary major war. MacArthur was then replaced by General Matthew Ridgway. Thereafter armistice talks began in July 1951. However due to the disagreement in terms, the last two years of war saw stalemate with casualties mounted with nothing to show for. When Stalin passed away in March 1953, the talks resumed and armistice was signed on 27 July 1953, with the border drawn near the 38th Parallel.