Prior to Kim Il-Sung’s Soviet-backed invasion in 1950, the United States military was involved in rebuilding Korea south of the 38th parallel and training a standing South Korean army. When the United Nations Security Council called for member nations to defend South Korea, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur took charge of the United Nations Command. Thereafter, U.S. troops constituted the bulk of the UN’s expeditionary force in Korea.
