Korean War

4:00 a.m., four axes

At about 4:00 a.m. Korean time on 25 June 1950, the North Korean People's Army attacked across the 38th parallel on four main axes, beginning a planned conventional invasion of South Korea.

An armored brigade and six divisions — some 89,000 soldiers spearheaded by about 200 Soviet-supplied T-34 tanks — rapidly broke the Republic of Korea Army's forward defenses and advanced toward Seoul, roughly 30 miles away.

About 38,000 South Korean troops held the forward area. Their formations lacked tanks and effective means of stopping the T-34s.

By sea and from the air

North Korea also landed four battalions near Kangnung from a convoy that included twenty troop-carrying schooners, threatening the coastal retreat route of South Korean troops.

During the afternoon, North Korean aircraft strafed Kimpo Airport and the Seoul airstrip, damaging aircraft, igniting a fuel dump and destroying a fuel truck.

A Security Council vote later that day

Later on 25 June the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 82, determining that the attack constituted a breach of the peace and calling for a ceasefire and North Korean withdrawal to the 38th parallel. The vote was 9-0 with one abstention; the Soviet Union was absent.

That resolution did not recommend military assistance. Resolution 83 did so on 27 June, the day Truman ordered US air and naval forces to support South Korea. Seoul fell on 28 June.