First Crossing. On June 25, 1950, a Russian-armed North Korean army drove south across the 38th parallel in a surprise attack. The same day, the U.N. Security Council branded the assault aggression.

In August 1945, at the end of World War II, Russia and the United States divided the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel into communist north and western-aligned south, setting the stage for one ...

In June 1950, with the support of China and the Soviet Union, North Korea launched an attack on South Korea across the 38th parallel.