The Korean War - Part 1 - The Forgotten War

The Korean war is called "The Forgotten War" for a reason. There is so much more to it than we usually hear, and unfortunately, many YouTubers who cover this topic tend to have a very biased view, which doesn't help us understand the conflict.
So this is my attempt to go in-depth and help you finally understand one of the most forgotten about American Wars, but that is still tremendously important!

This video was heavily inspired by Oversimplified and Bill Wurtz (Especially his history of the entire world, I guess)
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Music used:
By Kevin Mcleod:
The Complex
Prelude and Action
Infados
Sneaky Snitch
I Knew a Guy
Darkest Child
Anguish
Five Armies
Evil Incoming
Hard Boiled
Constance - The Descent
Sneaky Adventure
Achilles
Exotic Battle
Face Off
Dark Times
Desert City
Accralate
Crisis
Marty Gots a Plan
I knew a Guy
Crossing the Chasm
Sovereign
For the Fallen
Crusades

Other Autors:
Dark Mystery - Audionautix
Huma - From Russia With Love
Eminence Landscapes - Ian Post
The Voyage - Audionautix

Time stamps:
00:00 Why Starting in 1950 makes no sense
01:07 Japanese Occupation of Korea
04:30 Kim Il Sung and Guerilla Warfare
07:23 Division of Korea
08:50 The Impact of Collaborators
10:50 Elections in the South
12:00 Cheju and Yeosu Uprisings
15:59 What about the communists?
16:34 Skirmishes begin
18:45 The North Invades

[ThingsICareAbout]

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[E.Cheese]

Oversimplified has been real quiet since this dropped

[hureian]

Hi, I'm a South Korean, and I'm very interested in both Korean and world history. It is such a shame that the modern history of Korea has been misunderstood by many, so I appreciate the effort in showing a side of the Korean War that many do not know well. However, this video has several major errors that I simply can not ignore and wish to address. For a more simple read, I'll have to oversimplify - but if anyone wants to, I can go into more depth.

1. Kim Il Sung's role in the Korean independence movement is mild at best and wasn't vital either. Kim was born in 1912 and started to play an active role in the guerrilla campaign in Manchuria after the Japanese invasion in 1931. But his only notable feat was the Battle of Pochonbo (보천보 전투). While it was a minor battle, it played a major role in Kim's rise as supreme leader of North Korea. This battle has been greatly exaggerated by Soviet & North Korean propaganda, but it is clear that the battle had, in fact, taken place and was led by Kim. But when talking about the independence movement of Korea- Kim played only a minor role. Much of his 'achievements' stated in his autobiography and in North Korean propaganda have been proven to be false. (ex. the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, Down-with Imperialism Union)

I should also mention that there were more prominent factions in the Korean independence movement that this video doesn't mention that I believe should be mentioned. Those factions are:

1) The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 임시정부/KPG) & the Korean Liberation Army (한국광복군/KLA) - led by Kim Gu (김구), Kim Gyu-sik (김규식) and others. The KPG was formed in 1919 after the March First Movement and is the most well-known and recognized organization of the Korean independence movement. It was supported by the nationalist government of China and cooperated with the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). The KPG attempted to gain international recognition, but in the end, never was recognized. Sygnman Rhee (이승만) was also part of the provisional government and worked in the US to gain recognition of the provisional government. The constitution of South Korea states that the Republic of Korea upholds the cause of the provisional government.

2) The Committee for the Preparation for Korean Independence (조선건국준비위원회/CPKI), which formed the People's Committees (인민위원회) - formed and led by Lyuh Woon-hyung (여운형). It was mostly dominated by left-wing political figures, but some nationalist and conservative figures cooperated with the People's Committees, but many did not due to its left-wing character. The CPKI then formed the People's Republic of Korea. It should also be noted that Cho Man-sik (조만식) did play a major role in the northern People's Committees but did not lead nationally.

3) The Korean Independence Alliance (조선독립동맹) & the Korean Volunteer Army (조선의용군) - led by Kim Tu-bong (김두봉) and others. It was organized by left-wing independence leaders and was supported by the Chinese Communist Party. The Korean Volunteer Army constituted the largest military out of all the factions. After WW2, they attempted to enter Northern Korea but were stopped by the Soviet Union. They are less well-known than the others because they cooperated with the North Korean government and were later purged by Kim Il Sung. These figures formed the Yan'an faction in North Korea.

4) The Communist Party of Korea & other communist groups - led by multiple figures but mainly Pak Hon-yong. They formed multiple secret societies and led the resistance movement at home between the 1930s and 1940s. Many were supporters of Marxism-Leninism, but other moderate and nationalists factions existed. They later formed the Workers' Party of South Korea and led guerrilla movements against the US & South Korean governments. In the North, figures like Pak hong-yong (박헌영) formed the domestic faction. They were mostly purged during and after the Korean War.

5) The Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (동북한일연군) - The organization that Kim Il Sung was a part of and had disorganized leadership. It was created by the Chinese Communist Party as a multi-ethnic military force and had many Koreans in ranks. They fought in Manchuria against the Japanese on a small scale, and some later fled to the Soviet Union. Kim joined the 88th Separate Rifle Brigade of the Red Army, which helped him gain support from the Soviet Union. Figures like Choe Yong Gun (최용건) & Kim Chaek (김책) were part of the army and supported Kim Il Sung. They formed the Manchurian faction.

Besides the Yan'an, domestic & Manchurian faction, there also existed a Soviet faction consisting of Soviet Koreans. While Soviet Koreans played an important role in the early Korean independence movement, they lost relevance after Stalin's rise to power and the deportation of about 172 thousand Koreans to Central Asia.

Many more organizations existed before and during WW2, and many people fought for Korean Independence. While it is true that Kim played a role, he shouldn't outshine major figures in Korean history. Nor do I think he should be glorified, considering he is responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent Koreans and is very much responsible for almost eight decades of war.

2. The USAMGIK was not led by Douglas MacArthur. It was led by John R. Hodge.

3. The USAMGIK didn't always support Sygnman Rhee. In fact, the US supported Lyuh Woon-hyung and Kim Gyu-sik in the Left-Right Coalition Movement (좌우합작운동). The USAMGIK preferred Kim Gyu-sik to become the future leader of Korea but needed Lyuh's political support due to his massive popularity and friendship with Kim Gyu-sik. The USAMGIK was genuinely interested in cooperating with center-left and center-right figures and distanced itself from those in the far-right and far-left. When talking about the period before the Korean War, it is crucial that you talk about the Left-Right Coalition Movement. The movement formed the Left-Right Coalition Committee (좌우합작위원회), which promised land reforms, punishment of pro-Japanese officials & democratic elections. It tragically ended with the assassination of Lyuh Woon-hyung by the far-right.

As a side note, while Lyuh has many connections with communist figures and organizations, Lyuh is considered center-left and a social democrat. This is due to him being also close with nationalist and conservatives too, and being willing to compromise on political issues.

4. Sygnman Rhee got more than 90% of votes in the 1948 presidential election because he was elected by the legislature, not by a popular vote. He also stood as the only candidate in the election. The reason why other candidates got votes was because they were protest votes; some lawmakers wrote the names of other politicians as a protest. The other candidates that were named both opposed a separate government in the South, so they didn't stand for the election.

5. While it is true that in some cases, the South Korean military clashed with the North Korean forces- Kim Il Sung had planned an invasion of the South as soon as the Korean People's Army was formed. He asked Stalin multiple times (and was rejected) to allow an invasion of the South. It was only when the conditions were right, Did Stalin agree. The blame for the war lies on the shoulders of Kim Il Sung.

6. The Korean People's Army was also responsible for multiple massacres, killing more than 120 thousand civilians, according to reports by the South Korean government in 1952 and 1955. Other sources estimate around 30 thousand to 50 thousand civilians. This in no shape or form justifies the actions of the South Korean and the United States government, but the actions of the North should also be recognized and condemned.

[kalkuttadrop]

Japanese war criminals were convicted, most notably Tojo.
The main issue was that members of the royal family (Like Prince Asaka, who lead the Nanking Massacre) were immune, as were people of scientific interest scooped up for research(like Shiro Isshi and the rest of Unit 731).
Civilian Government Officials and Low Ranking Officers WERE convicted in quite large numbers. PM Tojo was arguably the highest profile one

[brunorosi]

Complains that others oversimplify history.
Proceeds to blame Comodore Matthew Perry for the Korean War.

[RingManofChaos]

Dude literally ignores that the Tokyo Trials were a thing

[thekingminn]

wait, so oversimplified simplified history? I would have never guessed.

[remoosecode]

What's with the blatant disinformation regarding Japan not being punished at all for war crimes?

[RexarGamingYT]

Throwing shades at OVERSIMPLIFIED for OVERSIMPLIFYING is crazy... What even more crazier is how there are so many misinformation in this video lmao

[doronaznible]

What’s with this narrative of Japan facing no repercussions for WW2 at all? I can look it up, and around 900 people were executed, in comparison to only 24 being executed at Nuremberg and most of the long prison sentences being reduced to a few years. Please don’t spread false information.

[jackiecooper]

Wait the Tokyo trials did happen. Nowhere near the Nuremberg but it was something

[Doxxieeee]

Finally, an actual accurate video! Every video I’ve seen always has a very oversimplified explanation of the Korean War, it usually consists of “north invaded the south”, “busan”, “usa”, “china”, and “stalemate”. A video addressing the war as a ‘civil war’ is very refreshing! Great video ThingsICareAbout!

[ZeroNumerous]

"Civil Wars are complex issues and have no single starting point"
-Shows the American civil war, which has a distinct starting point called Fort Sumter.

[svenrio]

Bruh. No way there's so much misinformation in this vid.

[thewittywhygaming]

Literally Any Country: *Tries to have it's own autonomy*

The USA: "OH HELLO THERE!"

[--MRCLASSIC--]

THE MODERN DAY... THE SUN IS SHINING..THE BIRDS ARE SINGING... AND HERE I AM INSIDE MY HOUSE ABOUT TO WATCH ANOTHER THINGSICAREABOUT VIDEO...

[nyana]

Quick correction: Japan did face war crime convictions and did have a trial conducted. This was called the Tokyo trial which was very similar to to the Nuremberg trials.

[johnkubera]

This was so heavy handed
It feels like a DPRK propaganda piece.

[shortyrags]

Abraham Lincoln quite obviously didn't start the American Civil war, because the South shot first at Sumter. What an awful analogy.

[jessemeyer]

This video was sponsored by Kim Jong Un.