Korea V. Vietnam

            There are a number of differences between the Korean and Vietnam wars. These include their duration, the financial cost, loss of lives, the origins and outcome. However, the key differences were in the varying degrees of in the domestic support and international reaction which each war received. .
             Historically Korea and Vietnam had both been occupied by colonial powers and were struggling for their own independence post World War Two. Korea had been occupied by Japan and Vietnam had been occupied by France. .
             Korea was a short war, it lasted only three years, from 1950- 1953 whereas the American military was openly participating in Vietnam from 1964-1975. Both of these wars were expensive, the Korean War cost the US $67 billion and Vietnam cost $140 billion .
             The Korean war commenced on 25 June, 1950 with the invasion of South Korea by North. At this time Kim Il Sung's made a national address in which he stated "The war which we are forced to wage is a just war for the unification and independence of the motherland and for freedom and democracy." .
             The Americans took this act as a sign that Kim II Sung was utilising a communist take-over, thus in October of the same year America, with UN sanction, invaded North Korea.
             The Korean War became the first American war ever waged solely as an ideological war. .
             "For the first time in the nations history Americans were asked to fight and die to contain an idea". The Korean War was extremely popular domestically because it was part of the Cold War. The Cold War was a result of World War Two, it caused the two ideologies, capitalism and communism to each struggle for control over the Post war world. This is important because America as the leader of the capitalist ideology could not afford to let Korea fall to the North, as they believed that to do so would essentially relinquish control to the communists.
             America gained UN approval for military action against North Korea on July 7th, 1950, the United Nations Security Council passed an emergency resolution (S/1588) calling for the assistance of all UN members in halting the North Korean invasion.