3.+Effects

The effects and impact of such a conflict

The war had great effects on the citizens of Korea, and the war affects them still, even after over 50 years of ceasefire.


 * Korean effects:**

Short Term:
 * Families are destroyed or separated on both sides of the DMZ due to the war.
 * The economy of the country is ruined. Transport routes and landscapes are scarred and damaged.
 * Kim Il-sung rules the Democratic Republic of Korea with autocratic power.
 * Syngman Rhee establishes the Republic of Korea.

Long Term:
 * North Korea enters a state of isolationism under Kim's ruling Juche idea, establishing only diplomatic ties with communist countries.
 * South Korea received aids from the UN and USA and develops into an economic hub in East Asia. It does not maintain friendly relations with communist countries (until the end of the Cold War)
 * Ideological and political conflicts are still not yet resolved (as of 2010) and the two remain as separate states on the peninsula.
 * Many Koreans on both sides of the DMZ begin to see themselves as separate entities (i.e. North Korean / South Korean person) instead of the original "Korean".




 * Chinese effects:**

Short Term:
 * Many soldiers lost their lives fighting the war against the UN and USA armies.
 * The end of the war was seen by many Chinese as a success (DPRK was protected and the USA was kept at bay)

Long Term:
 * China enters a period of industrialisation under communism.
 * Relations with non-communist countries are mainly hostile until the economic reform in the late 1970s.


 * USA effects:**

Short Term:
 * Many soldiers lost their lives fighting the war against communist forces.
 * The war became the first war in which USA joined but did not win.
 * The became a blow for anti-communism politicians. Support for McCarthyism declines (though not necessary due to the war)
 * President Truman's popularity dropped and was replaced by Eisenhower in 1953.

Long Term:
 * The war became known as "the forgotten war".
 * USA continues to intervene in communist affairs such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War.

Nevertheless, the war still had a great impact on ordinary civilians both within and outside Korea, military forces and politics of countries. (See more about this in "Status"). It greatly changed the lives of Koreans and remains a page in history stained full of chaos and blood.