ARSOF in the Korean War

INTRODUCTION

The Korean War (25 June 1950 — 27 July 1953) was a highly transformative period for what are known today as Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF). Starting when the communist North Korean People’s Army attacked across the 38th Parallel into South Korea, the war expanded when U.S.-led United Nations (UN) forces and Communist China entered the fray. The Korean War consisted of five phases:

• Phase I: United Nations (UN) Defensive
• Phase II: UN Offensive
• Phase III: Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) Intervention
• Phase IV: First UN Counteroffensive/CCF Spring Offensive
• Phase V: Stabilization of the Lines through the Armistice

During the war, ARSOF evolved rapidly and repeatedly to meet the threat. In addition to activating numerous raider and Ranger units and training programs, the Army employed a revitalized psychological warfare (psywar) capability. Civil Affairs units provided vital services to Korean civilians and administered occupied areas. When the Army became aware of North Korean partisans fighting the Communists from off-shore islands, it organized a bicoastal guerrilla warfare advisory effort from scratch. This campaign was augmented in 1953 by 99 Special Forces (SF)-qualified soldiers from the new 10th SF Group, the first deployment of its kind.

Back in the U.S., the Army created the Psywar Center at Fort Bragg, NC, the command and training headquarters for stateside psywar and SF personnel. This center exists today as the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. Seventy years later, the Korean War experience continues to have lasting implications for ARSOF.

Organized by the five phases, this site documents the ARSOF role in the Korean War. It features historical articles, key ARSOF ‘icons’ from that era, psywar leaflets, and period U.S. Army Signal Corps-produced videos.

For more information on the phases of the Korean War, visit The U.S. Army Center of Military History