How did the UN become involved in the Korean War and with what
consequences?

The UN became involved in Korean affairs in 1947 when it declared that elections should be held for a united Korea and these were duly held in 1948.

However, the UN Commission was not allowed to observe the elections in North Korea and the UN declared that only the South Korean government was legitimate. At this point North Korea made the divide at the 38 th Parallel permanent as it became the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the DPRK), whilst South Korea responded by becoming the Republic of Korea.

Then, when North Korea invaded the south on June 25 th , 1950 President Truman called on the United Nations to condemn the invasion and to demand the immediate withdrawal of DPRK troops. The UN General-Secretary, Trygve Lie, called an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the day of the DPRK’s invasion which passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of DPRK forces from the Republic of Korea. It was introduced by the American delegation. When the DPRK ignored the UN, a second resolution was passed two days later
which recommended action be taken by the international community. A third resolution, passed on July 7 th put the international force under a single (American) command. These resolutions committed UN member states to military action.

They were able to be passed because the Soviet Union was boycotting the UN in protest that the People’s Republic of China was still being represented by the Nationalist government that had fled to Taiwan, rather than by Mao’s government in Beijing. Yet Stalin was aware of Kim Il Sung’s invasion plans and so the likelihood of the UN response, which begs the question: Why still
boycott the UN which would deny the chance to use the Soviet veto? In August, the Soviet Union’s delegation returned to the UN and immediately used its veto in the Security Council to thwart further UN action. As a consequence, America put forward a resolution to the General Assembly (known as ‘Uniting for
Peace’) that handed responsibility for peacekeeping to the General Assembly (where there was no veto) if the UN was unable to act because of a veto in the Security Council. It was controversial but it worked (even if it would later be used against American interests).

UN forces landed at Pusan, the Republic of Korea’s last stronghold and at Inchon on the Republic of Korea’s west coast near the 38 th Parallel and they quickly pushed the DPRK forces back across the 38 th Parallel and deep into the DPRK, capturing their capital, Pyonyang, in the process, which, as General
MacArthur, the UN forces American commander, was fully aware, was far beyond the terms of the UN mandate. However, faced with the situation on the ground, and with Soviet opposition thwarted by the ‘Uniting for Peace’ resolution, the UN authorised the operation.

As the DPRK bordered China or the People’s Republic of China (PRC), it now felt threatened and warned that if the advance northwards was not halted, the PRC would have to respond. Despite this the UN forces got to within a 100 km of the PRC’s border. When Mao’s warning was ignored, the PRC felt compelled to act and a force of heavily armed ‘volunteers’ entered the fray (in reality the People’s Liberation Army, trained and armed by the PRC). The size of the Chinese “volunteers” force was such that in this third phase, the UN-American
troops were swept back and it was the turn of the Chinese troops to cross the 38th Parallel. Seoul again, fell but so again did the UN forces recover and the war reached a stalemate with both sides dug into WW1-like trenches and fortifications each side of the 38 th Parallel. It took another two years and more fierce fighting along the border (and continued heavy bombing of the DPRK) before peace talks led to a border pretty much where it all began: at the 38th Parallel.

What could be described as a civil war had become a war between the Communist DPRK and ostensibly the UN (but really America) and had now become a war between the People’s Republic of China under the masquerade of “volunteers” (supported by Soviet “advisors”, as well as tanks and planes and
other equipment) and America, and the UN. It really was a Cold War conflict but fought under what we could call “flags of convenience”.

The UN had acted speedily and resolutely, and had stood up to aggression that had been backed by a superpower and, potentially, another major power (the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China respectively). America had sent troops to Korea immediately after the second UN resolution had been passed. Three weeks later UN forces were sent, eventually from another fifteen member states (including Britain). Another ten countries provided non-military assistance (mostly medical care). But America provided 89% of UN troops (43% of fighting troops if you include the Republic of Korea’s troops), 86% of
the naval power and 93% of the air power. And the UN troops were led by the American General MacArthur. He took his orders from, and reported to, President Truman, not the UN (though they received his reports after the President had received them). What is more, MacArthur had forced the UN’s hand into extending the mission to one of uniting Korea, which it failed to do. And it had only been made possible by the Soviet Union’s temporary
withdrawal from the UN. Was this deliberate? Did the Soviet Union want to embroil America in a war of which the Soviet Union had nothing to lose?

The Soviet Union couldn’t contest the legitimacy of the UN resolutions whilst it was boycotting it but it never accepted the Uniting for Peace resolution, claiming it was illegal, and for years they refused to accept decisions made this way (though they did come to find it very useful). They also accused the UN Secretary General, Trygve Lie, of bias in favour of America and of acting
beyond the scope of his office. Their delegation refused to work with him and his position became impossible. In 1953 he decided to resign. The UN as a neutral arbiter in international affairs was brought into question.

So the UN had become embroiled in the Cold War. What is more, it had got its hands bloodied and had been accused of one side in the Cold war of bias towards the other. The UN would find it ever-more difficult to navigate a path through this undeclared conflict.