Which invasion sparked the Korean War?

Which invasion sparked the Korean War?

• A. South Korea invading North Korea
• B. China invading Korea
• C. North Korea invading South Korea
• D. Japan invading Korea

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the Korean War began with an invasion by North Korea into the South in 1950. After World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel, with the Soviet-leaning North and the U.S.-backed South. In June 1950, North Korean forces crossed into South Korea and launched a full-scale attack to try to reunify the peninsula by force. This unprovoked act triggered a response from the international community, with the United Nations helping South Korea and eventually drawing in China as the war continued. The other options don’t fit the spark of the conflict: there wasn’t a South Korean or Japanese invasion that started the war, and China’s involvement came after the initial North Korean invasion, not as the trigger.

The key idea is that the Korean War began with an invasion by North Korea into the South in 1950. After World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel, with the Soviet-leaning North and the U.S.-backed South. In June 1950, North Korean forces crossed into South Korea and launched a full-scale attack to try to reunify the peninsula by force. This unprovoked act triggered a response from the international community, with the United Nations helping South Korea and eventually drawing in China as the war continued. The other options don’t fit the spark of the conflict: there wasn’t a South Korean or Japanese invasion that started the war, and China’s involvement came after the initial North Korean invasion, not as the trigger.