Busan - The Only Major City Not Conquered by the North During the Korean War

Another interesting piece of information that I have learned about the Korean War has to do with the city that I currently live in, Busan.

The Korean War began in June of 1950, and by September of that year, the North Korean army had almost completely conquered the entire Korean peninsula.  The only major city remaining under South Korean control was Busan.  In the region surrounding Busan, the South Koreans effectively fought a  final stand against the invading north, in what came to be called the battle of the Busan perimeter (or battle of the Pusan perimeter).  They successfully thwarted the Naktong offensive, and by November of 1950, had pushed the North Korean army almost all the way back to the current border between China and North Korea.  At that point, China entered the war, and the North Koreans regained the territory that is today North Korea.

The Nakdong river (낙동강) flows just to the west of Busan.  It falls into the Pacific ocean within the administrative limits of the city.  But the river's source, though it's exact location appears to be disputed, is far to the north, in the Taebaek mountains (대백산맥).  The Nakdong river is the namesake of the Naktong offensive, as it demarcated the western front of the Busan perimeter.  And during an afternoon hike last autumn, I noticed on the western flank of Gudeok mountain (구덕산), overlooking the Nakdong river, structures that I thought were military fortifications.

The Nakdong river, as seen from Baekyang mountain.

To the north, the boundary of the Busan perimeter lay a short distance beyond the cities of Daegu (also known as Taegu) and Kyongju.  Last year, I visited Kyoungju with a Korean friend, and as we drove to the north-east of the city, towards the city of Pohang, he said to me that this was an area where the fighting had been particularly intense during the Korean war.

Because it was never conquered by the North Koreans, many refugees found their way to Busan during the Korean war, hoping to find some safety here.  As a result, the city's population grew a lot during this period, perhaps by as much as half a million people.  An interesting article about Busan during the war was published last year in the Korea Times.  Not surprisingly, life was pretty rough around here for a lot of people during that time.  But Busan has since developed into South Korea's second-largest city, and it's most important port.