By National Archives of Korea
Soldiers Aiming (1950) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and ended unofficially on July 27, 1953, having lasted 3 years, 1 month and 2 days. The war devastated 80% of the landmass of the Korean Peninsula, from the Nakdonggang River down in the south to the Yalu River up in the north.
Panorama of the Conference Hall of the Military Armistice Commission (1970) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
It was not only domestic warfare on the Korean Peninsula but also international warfare involving over 20 countries, and footage of the war including the Korean armistice agreement remains vivid in the national records.
The Armistice Agreement (Conference Hall) (1953) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
The Korean Armistice Agreement
Statements from the National Assembly, presidential speeches and key elements of the Korean Armistice Agreement detail the situation before and after the armistice, which was signed on July 27, 1953.
In the video below, you can see the process from the opening of the armistice talk in Kaesong in 1951, the main battles during the talks, the discussion of exchange of prisoners, and the conclusion of the Armistice Agreement on July 7, 1953.
The Armistice Agreement (1953) by Ministry of National DefenseNational Archives of Korea
Notification of Resolution Agaist Korean War Armistice Negotiations Notification of Resolution Agaist Korean War Armistice Negotiations (1951) by Ministry of Government AdministrationNational Archives of Korea
The UN Command and the Korean People's Army and the Chinese People's Volunteers believed that it would be challenging to create a breakthrough in the conflict on the Korean Peninsula by military means and started pursuing an armistice in June 1951.
Talks over armistice commenced in Gaesung, North Korea on July 10, 1951. However, the talks continued until 1953 while battles continued at the 38th parallel due to disagreements over ceasefire agenda items. Against this backdrop, parliamentarians declared their official resistance to the armistice agreement in the plenary session of the National Assembly on June 5, 1951.