First Battle of Seoul

Korean War (1950)
Part of the Korean War
Date June 25 - June 28, 1950 Location Seoul, South Korea Result North Korea captures Seoul.
Belligerents
South Korea	North Korea
Commanders and leaders
Syngman Rhee	Kim Il-sung

The First Battle of Seoul was the North Korean invasion of South Korea during the start of the Korean War. It resulted in the capture of the capital by North Korean forces.

Background

On June 25, 1950; North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel. The North Koreans utilized a blitzkrieg style invasion using T-34 tanks supported by artillery. The South Koreans had no methods in stopping the onslaught of tanks as they lacked anti tank weapons and had no tanks at all. In addition, the South Korean forces had blown up the bridge across the Han River trapping their own soldiers and killing hundreds of refugees evacuating the city.^[1][2] Within three days, North Korean troops had taken over the capital.

References

1. Millett, Allan R. (2007). The Korean War: The Essential Bibliography. The Essential Bibliography Series. Dulles, VA: Potomac Books Inc. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-57488-976-5.
2. Johnston, William. A war of patrols: Canadian Army operations in Korea. Univ of British Columbia Pr. p. 20. ISBN 0-7748-1008-4.