WEBVTT

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The Korean War began on June 25 1950

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when over 75,000 soldiers from the

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North Korean people's army crossed the

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38 th parallel into South Korea in an

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action that would later be recognized

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as the first military action of the

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Cold War . By July 1950 American troops

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had entered the war on South Korea's

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behalf . And the American government

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viewed us participation in the conflict

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as a war against the international

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forces of communism itself . In July

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1951 President Truman and his military

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commanders began peace talks . The

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fighting continued along the 38th

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parallel as negotiations stalled . Both

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sides were willing to accept a

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ceasefire that maintained the 38th

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parallel but could not agree in whether

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prisoners of war should be forcibly

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repatriated . After more than two years

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of talks , an armistice was signed on

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July 27 1953 . The agreement allowed

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prisoners of war to stay where they

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liked drew a new boundary near the 38th

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parallel that granted South Korea an

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extra 1500 square miles of territory

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and created a two mile wide

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demilitarized zone that still exists

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today . The Korean war was short but

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exceptionally costly . Nearly 5 million

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people died , more than half of these

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deaths amounting to 10% of Korea's pre

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war population were civilians . Over

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100,000 Americans were wounded and

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nearly 40,000 Americans were killed in

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action .