Vietnam War: Korea's Involvement

By Kristen McClung For more information, see: Vietnam War

Overview

The Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos from November 1955 to April 1975. The 20-year war was between communist North Vietnam and anti-communist South Vietnam, with each side supported by global allies. The war began over a disagreement in government formation. North Vietnam wanted to unify the country under one communist regime, while South Vietnam disagreed with communism and favored Western political ideologies.

The Vietnam People's Army of North Vietnam waged war using conventional land-based tactics, while the South Vietnamese forces utilized airstrikes and ground force artillery. The Viet Cong, also known as the National Liberation Front (NLF), was an independent communist political group and militia in South Vietnam that opposed the country's anti-communist ideology and waged guerrilla warfare against South Vietnam.

North Korea and South Korea supported their political allies during the Vietnam War, with communist North Korea aiding North Vietnam and anti-communist South Korea fighting alongside South Vietnam. Prompted by the U.S. call for allied support in South Vietnam, South Korea sent more than 300,000 soldiers to Vietnam.

The war ended in April 1975 when South Vietnam was invaded by North Vietnam. More than 3 million Vietnamese were killed during the war, including 2 million civilians, 200,000 South Vietnamese soldiers and 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers. Additionally, several dozen North Koreans, 5,000 South Koreans and 58,000 Americans died during the Vietnam War.

History

The political conflict between North Vietnam and South Vietnam started as a regional battle, and escalated into a global war with countries around the world taking sides with their communist or anti-communist allies. The U.S. was dedicated to eliminating communism and supported South Vietnam with troops, funding and supplies. In 1961, South Korea President Park Chung Hee offered to send troops to Vietnam. However, his offered was turned down by the U.S. government. In 1964, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson called neighboring allies, including South Korea, to support South Vietnam as U.S. troops struggled in battle and casualties rose.

From 1965 to 1973, South Korea sent more than 300,000 troops to fight against communism in Vietnam. The South Korean forces were the second largest foreign army in Vietnam, with U.S. forces as the largest—numbering around 500,000. The South Korea militia was known for its counterinsurgency operations and hand-to-hand guerilla combat techniques using Tae Kwon Do, a Korean martial art. In fact, Tae Kwon Do instructors were among the first sent from South Korea to South Vietnam to train existing troops. Tae Kwon Do was particularly effective in battling the Viet Cong. In 1973, South Korea withdrew all troops when the U.S. pulled out of the war. Approximately 11,000 South Koreans were injured during the Vietnam War, and about 5,000 were killed.

South Korea benefitted economically from its involvement in the Vietnam War as a result of large U.S. military contracts and financial aid from the U.S. and other allies. From 1965 to 1975, South Korea's exports increased 29 times and its Gross National Product (GNP) increased by 14 times.

North Korea entered the Vietnam War in 1967, when the government sent fighter squadrons to back up the North Vietnamese squadrons in Hanoi. They also sent at least two artillery units to North Vietnam. North Korean squadrons served through 1968, and the country supported North Vietnam with ammunition, weapons and 2 million uniforms. North Korea was also heavily supported by the communist nations of the Soviet Union and China, who provided supplies, weapons and tactical support. North Korea sent about 200 pilots and combat fighters to North Vietnam, and several dozen were killed in bombings during the war.

Present Day

Immediately following the war, Vietnam and North Korea were close political allies. However, they became estranged when Vietnam invaded neighboring Cambodia in the late 1970s. In 2001, North Korean officials confirmed for the first time that they sent fighter pilots to fight against American troops during the Vietnam War. Until then, the North Korean government was silent about its involvement in the war. Vietnam and North Korea are currently working to reestablish economic and diplomatic ties.

South Korea and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1992. In 2001, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung offered an official apology to Vietnam for pain inflicted on the Vietnamese people during the war. The two countries upgraded their status from a "comprehensive partnership" to a "strategic partnership" in 2009, and South Korea is now a major investor in Vietnam. Approximately 80,000 to 90,000 South Koreans live in Vietnam, with about the same number of Vietnamese residing in South Korea.