Haunting pictures reveal the brutality of America’s last war in Korea nearly 70 years ago… as the world holds it breath once more
Three year conflict in the early 1950s ended in a military stalemate after killing more than two million people
THESE images lay bare the suffering and devastation of the last war with North Korea more than 60 years ago.
With Korean War 2 about to break out, The Sun delves into the archives to lift the lid on the bloodthirsty war which broke out in 1950 and lasted until 1953.
The pictures of war-torn Korea act as a stark reminder and a warning as to what could happen should the current strife between North Korea and America escalate.
The action-paced pictures show a bomb exploding after being dropped from a fighter jet.
Soldiers and equipment can be seen filling the sky as they parachute to earth and troops are busy clearing the path of mines for their tank unit.
Other incredible images show an American soldier carrying a wounded South Korean soldier to safety, South Koreans waiting to welcome North Korean defectors and American soldiers sending home a message for New Year’s.
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The war was arguably created by a power vacuum in the Korean peninsula following World War 2
Korea had been occupied by Japan until its defeat in 1945 and afterwards was divided - the north supported by the USSR and the South by the West.
But in June 1950 Kim Jong’s Un’s granddad, Kim Il Jung sent troops to cross the 38th parallel - the name of the border - and invaded the South.
Five days later US President Harry S Truman sent troops which eventually formed part of a United Nations force aimed at driving the North Korean’s out of the South.
Before long China waded in on the side of the North.
It had just become a communist country itself the year before when Mao Zedong won the Chinese civil war.
The Soviet Union stayed out, perhaps fearing his involvement may spark World War 3.
But he armed the North with MiG jets and trained them in the art of modern warfare.
Despite recovering from World War 2, Britain deployed 100,000 servicemen during the three year war, among them the actor Michael Caine.
Some 1,078 Brits were killed in action, 2,674 wounded and 1,060 missing or taken prisoner.
The war went on as border clashes until 1953 when America's new president, Eisenhower, offered peace, but threatened to use the atomic bomb if China did not accept the offer.
A truce was signed soon after and holds to this day.
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