SEOUL RECAPTURED IN KOREAN WAR

Seoul recaptured in Korean War

Finally, on September 28th, 1950, United Nations forces led by General Douglas MacArthur, alongside South Korean troops, completed the recapture of Seoul during the Korean War. The operation followed the dramatic amphibious landing at Inchon earlier in the month, where United States Marines and other forces had come ashore behind North Korean lines to relieve pressure on the Pusan Perimeter far to the south. The drive into Seoul required difficult urban fighting, with infantry and armor pushing through heavily defended streets, industrial districts, and government quarters, all while trying to limit damage to a battered capital city. By the twenty-eighth, organized North Korean resistance in the city had largely collapsed, and South Korea’s government could return to its seat of power. The liberation of Seoul represented a striking reversal of fortune after the grim summer of retreat and near-encirclement, illustrating how amphibious operations, airpower, and coalition ground forces could combine to change the momentum of a limited war. It also set the stage for further decisions about how far to push north, choices that would shape the course of the conflict in the months ahead.