GLS UNIVERSITY’s

Faculty of Commerce
presents
GLS FOC MUN 2.0
सर्वं सम्भाव्यते त्वयि।
5th, 6th & 7th of January, 2024

UNGA-DISEC
(Historic)
Deliberation on the war in the Korean Peninsula
(1950)
 Letter from the Executive Board

Greetings Delegates,

It gives us immense pleasure to serve in the capacity of the Executive

Board of the Historic United Nations General Assembly First Committee
Disarmament and International Security at GLS FOC Model United
Nations, 2024. The agenda we would be looking forward to discussing is
Deliberation on the war in the Korean Peninsula (1950) in this simulation.
Kindly note that the Rules of Procedure that we shall be following in this
simulation would be the UNA-USA Rules of Procedure.

The Executive Board would like to stress the fact that this Background
Guide has been drafted only in order to provide assistance for initiating
your further research. Hence, this document shall not be seen as the
ultimate source of information; rather, it should be considered as the base
for your further research.

The Executive Board would also be expecting a healthy and substantial

discussion from the committee with respect to the agenda and the
portrayal of basic yet necessary aspects of a true delegate including
adherence to their respective country's foreign policy, presentation of
substantive information, practicing diplomacy, using critical thinking,
being well versed with different dimensions of our agenda and most
importantly, provide constructive solutions for the issue, from all the
delegates, individually.

Wishing you all the very best,

Pratham Maheshwari
Chairperson

Sakshi Joshi
Vice-Chairperson

1
Introduction to the Committee

The First Committee deals with disarmament, global challenges, and

threats to peace that affect the international community and seeks
solutions to the challenges in the international security regime.

It considers all disarmament and international security matters within the

scope of the Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any other
organ of the United Nations; the general principles of cooperation in the
maintenance of international peace and security, as well as principles
governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments; promotion of
cooperative arrangements and measures aimed at strengthening stability
through lower levels of armaments.

The Committee works closely with the United Nations Disarmament

Commission and the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament.

It is the only Main Committee of the General Assembly entitled to verbatim

records coverage.

The First Committee sessions are structured into three distinctive stages:
General debate
Thematic discussions
Action on drafts

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Introduction to the Agenda
Summary

The Korean War is said to be a civil war between South and North Korea
with its historical roots partly in the Japanese colonial experience and
legacy. Under the Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, the Japanese
imperial government implemented the "divide and rule" policy, which
demarcated the Korean peninsula according to its geographic
characteristics to utilize and exploit natural resources more effectively. The
mountainous northern part, rich with raw minerals and geographic
advantages, was suited for heavy industry, while the southern part
concentrated on light industry and production of rice and other crops.
More importantly, this delineation coincided with the ideological division
within Korea. The communist groups increasingly made their way to the
north, where they engaged in guerrilla warfare as a form of resistance
against the Japanese, while conservatives and collaborationist groups
congregated and operated in the south.

At the end of World War II, when Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945,
Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule only to be divided and
occupied by the two major superpowers of the Cold War era. The United
States occupied the southern half and the Soviet Union occupied the
northern half. Under the occupation rule by the two ideologically
opposing foreign regimes on each side of the 38th parallel, two separate
Korean governments were formed in 1948. Backed by the United States,
the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) was headed by Syngman
Rhee, while the northern government of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) was headed by Kim II-sung with the support of
the Soviet Union. Both Syngman Rhee and Kim II-sung aimed to reunify
Korea under their political systems. While Rhee called for a democratic
government, Kim wanted to establish a communist government for a
reunified Korea. Such competing interests created tensions and mutual
enmity between the South and the North and persecutions of the groups
and individuals who exhibited affiliation to the opposing political system in
each half of the peninsula further polarized Korea.

Against this backdrop, numerous skirmishes in the form of guerilla warfare

and border conflict occurred between the two Koreas in the period
between 1948 and 1950. With the withdrawal of the occupation countries
in 1949, the tensions between the South and the North continued to
escalate.

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On June 25, 1950, the Korea People's Army (KPA) of the DPRK marched
southward and crossed the 38th parallel to invade the South. In response
to this northern provocation of war, the United States entered the war to
aid the South, whose military forces were quickly subdued by their
northern counterparts, to fight against the North. Secretary of State Dean
Acheson's decision to intervene and to commit more military forces to the
war was supported by President Truman and was later approved by the
United Nations. Even with the dominant numbers of US military forces on
the ground, the northern army continued to successfully push southward
in the summer of 1950, forcing the ROK and US armies to retreat as far as
Pusan, the farthest southeastern port city on the peninsula. By early
August, the northern advance was halted and the battle relatively
stabilized without any party's dramatic advance through the end of the
month. With the successful landing at Inchon in mid-September, the
United Nations Command (UNC) forces led by General MacArthur
recaptured Seoul from the KPA, and Kim II-sung's initial plan to win or
"end the war in a month" then dissipated.

With this newly acquired momentum, the US-led UNC forces advanced
past the 38th parallel into the northern territory. Soon, the Chinese armies
entered the war on behalf of DPRK in late October, namely, to defend its
borders from the US UNC advance, although the decision was determined
by Chairman Mao early in the war. However, North Korean and Chinese
archival documents confirm that Chairman Mao decided to intervene
should the DPRK face a difficult situation since Koreans sent their military
troops and support for the "Chinese revolution, the anti-Japanese
resistance, and the Chinese civil war." Brutal fighting between the
communist China-North Korea military forces and the UNC forces
continued until the late spring of 1951 when the fighting stalemated in
terms of the battle lines, which resembled the lines where the present-day
demilitarized zone is.

In July 1951, truce talks began among the four belligerents (DPRK, PRC,
UNC, and ROK) in the war. Another two years of negotiation and "a form of
trench warfare" went on before the signing of an armistice on July 27, 1953,
by three of the four main actors of the war: DPRK, PRC, and UNC. South
Korea's Syngman Rhee refused to sign it on the grounds that he refused
to recognize a divided Korea. Nonetheless, the armistice agreement went
into effect, ended the fighting, and established the 2.5-mile-wide
demilitarized zone (DMZ). Since this cease

4
fire agreement was not a peace treaty, both Koreas are still in a state of war
in a technical sense.

Timeline

June 25, 1950: North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded
South Korea. The UN condemned the attack and passed the United
Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 82, calling for the cessation
of hostilities and withdrawal of North Korean forces.

June 27, 1950: United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 83

declared North Korean actions constituted a breach of peace,
recommending UN members provide assistance to South Korea to repel
the attack and restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.

June 28, 1950: Seoul, South Korea’s capital city, was captured by North
Korean forces.

July 7, 1950: United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 84

authorized the United States to establish and lead a unified command
comprised of military forces from UN member states, and authorized that
command to operate under the UN flag.

July 31, 1950: United Nations Security Resolution (UNSCR) 85 called for
UNC to determine the requirements for relief to and support for, the
people of South Korea.

August 4—September 16, 1950: U.S. and South Korean troops established
the "Busan Perimeter", and prevented North Korea from capturing South
Korea.

September 15—16, 1950: U.S. forces conducted the Incheon Landing.

September 16—22, 1950: UNC forces broke out of the Busan Perimeter,
recaptured Seoul, and advanced north into North Korea.

November 25, 1950: The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army crossed the Yalu
River into North Korea and drove back UNC forces.

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November 27—28, 1950: UNC forces are surrounded at the Changjin
(Chosin) Reservoir.

November 1950: United Nations Command incorporated the Civil

Assistance sections of major combat units with the small UN Public Health
and Welfare Detachment to form the UN Civil Assistance Command
(UNCACK) in Busan. UNCACK supervised the distribution and utilization of
more than $450 million in relief assistance from 33 UN member nations.
UNCACK clothed, fed, housed, and medically treated millions before
operations ceased in September 1953.

December 9—24, 1950: Evacuation of UNC forces from the port city of
Hungnam. This operation also included the largest sea-borne military
evacuation of civilians under combat conditions, transporting 98,000
Koreans from Hungnam, Wonsan, and Sonjin ports.

January—April 1951: The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army pushed UNC

forces back across the 38th Parallel and recaptured Seoul.
May 1951: UNC counterattack freed Seoul. Fighting stalled around the 38th
Parallel.

June 1951—July 1953: UNC and communist forces fought sporadic battles
for control of territory around the 38th Parallel.

July 10, 1951: Peace talks began at Kaesong and eventually continued at
Panmunjom.

July 27, 1953: The Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjom,

temporarily ending all fighting. A permanent peace treaty has never been
signed.

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Further Research

According to the actual events of the war, the armistice brought an

indefinite truce to the war with the 38th Parallel in consideration. However,
according to the agenda and the committee, the delegates possess an
opportunity to change the course of history. Hence, it is imperative for the
delegates to be well versed in the status of the war, various facets of the
same, respective nations' foreign policy, stance on the agenda, and the
global political situation at that time period. Moreover, it is also necessary
that delegates’ research is based on historical data only and the entire
global situation in any parameter shall be considered that of 1953. Since, as
a committee, we have a responsibility and opportunity to alter the actual
events of the course, the delegates are expected to be extremely precise
with their deliberations and other alternative solutions that should be
based on critical thinking, logical coherence, and viability. Note that it is
not necessary for the delegates to deliberate upon a different solution
altogether but the same can be explored under the mandate of the
committee.

Although for the purpose of substantive research and individual

understanding, various sources can be utilized, the delegates have to be
assured of the credibility that these sources of research possess. Although
research papers or news articles are inherently biased to varying extents,
these sources can be approached for the sake of developing the
respective delegate’s understanding. Considering the utmost credible
sources for determining factual information, the UN and, to a limited
extent, respective governments’ documents possess higher precedence
than any other source. UN documents refer to UN resolutions, reports,
briefs, etc.

7
Documents for reference:-

https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/the-korean-war
-101- causes-course-and-conclusion-of-the-conflict/

https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/079/53/PDF/NR007953.pdf?OpenEl
e ment
https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/744/47/PDF/NR074447.pdf?OpenEl
e ment

https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/744/45/PDF/NR074445.pdf?OpenEl
e ment

https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/059/74/PDF/NR005974.pdf?OpenEl
e ment

https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/NL5/012/65/PDF/NL501265.pdf?OpenElement

https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/NL5/012/98/PDF/NL501298.pdf?OpenElement

https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/NL5/012/95/PDF/NL501295.pdf?OpenElement

https://documents-dds
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/NL5/013/01/PDF/NL501301.pdf?OpenElement