Operation Pokpung
Operation Pokpung (Korean: 폭풍 작전, lit. 'Storm') was the military invasion of the Republic of Korea (ROK) by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that triggered the Korean War. The DPRK military began the offensive by crossing the 38th parallel north and entering ROK territory at 04:00 PYT/KST on 25 June 1950; the DPRK government did not issue any declaration of war before the invasion.
| Operation Pokpung 폭풍 작전 (暴風作戰) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Korean War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
North Korea (DPRK) Supported by: Soviet Union | South Korea (ROK) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Kim Il Sung Choe Yong-gon Kang Kon |
Syngman Rhee Shin Song-mo Chae Byong-duk † Chung Il-kwon Sohn Won-yil | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 198,380 | 105,752 | ||||||
The DPRK had prepared for an invasion of the ROK with support from the Soviet Union, which supplied the DPRK with weapons, tanks, and aircraft. Within a few days, the DPRK military captured and occupied Seoul, the capital city of the ROK.
Originally, the goal of Operation Pokpung was to take control of the entire Korean Peninsula by 15 August 1950—50 days, with an average advance of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) each day—in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of Gwangbokjeol. However, heavy losses were inflicted on the DPRK's II Corps by the ROK's 6th Infantry Division, stalling the DPRK's advance in the east. This delay enabled the United States to join the fight in support of the ROK on 27 June. On 7 July, the United Nations Command was established to direct a multinational military response against the DPRK.