Pimsleur Korean - The Korean War

The Korean War

Facts about the Korean War

A summary of the Korean War: The Korean War is the term that refers to a military conflict between North Korea (officially named the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and South Korea (officially named the Republic of Korea). The principal fighting lasted from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953.

Two different Koreans with different social and economic cultures

The escalating conflict arose from the attempts of the two Korean powers to re-unify Korea under their respective governments. As that meant that one governement was going to be superluous, none of the officials were ready to step down, and none of them was ready to be subdued by the respective social and economic systems of either capitalisme or communisme. The period immediately before the war was marked by escalating border conflicts at the 38th Parallel and attempts to negotiate elections for the entirety of Korea.

The invasion of South Korea

Korean War Phases - Facts about the Korean war

These negotiations ended when the North Korean Army invaded the South on June 25, 1950.

Under the aegis of the United Nations, nations allied with the United States intervened on behalf of South Korea.

After rapid advances in a South Korean counterattack, communist-allied Chinese forces intervened on behalf of North Korea, shifting the balance of the war and ultimately leading to an armistice that approximately restored the original boundaries between North and South Korea.

(Map of the Korean War Phases with the development of the fighting lines over time are courtesy of Military History Resources)

The Korean War - A War by Proxy for the Superpowers

While some politicians and history scientists have referred to the conflict as a civil war, many other influences were at play. This was a war by proxy between super powers. Each side was supported by external powers and the conflict expanded, rapidly becoming a proxy war in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union with the Chinese governement mingling as well.

The term 'Korean War' has also been used to describe both the events preceding and following the main hostilities.

The Forgotten War

The war is also frequently refered to as the 'Forgotten War', maily in the United States. This is due to the fact that in the war U.S forces suffered many casualties, but still the war is not as historically well known as other conflicts such as the Vietnam War.

What satisfied customers say about the Pimsleur KOREAN audios:

Worth the money!
The repetition provided in the CD, pace and style of teaching is truly helpful for a beginner who's learning the language for the very first time. Unlike some other programs which teaches at a very fast pace, making one feels lost and confused, this one allows you time to memorize and digest what you've learn. Overall, I am truly impressed and will recommend it to everyone! -- Kori,Singapore

Best Audio Korean Lessons Available
This is the only audio Korean set you should consider buying. The rest are complete 100% GARBAGE! This applies especially to those who are going to DLI to learn Korean, as I did. This will fill the gaps nicely, as regular everyday speech is generally overlooked there. If you know you are going to DLI and really want to learn Korean, try to learn as much of this as you can before you go. The only other resource you might need outside of what you get at DLI might be a good phrasebook or two, such as Lonely Planet and/or Making Out In Korean. Again, this will help fill the gaps.
For most major languages, there are 3 parts to the Pimsleur set. For Korean there is only one, so this should be considered the beginner set--"Korean I". Hopefully, there will be a Korean II and Korean III eventually, but this is certainly a good start for those who are learning Korean for the first year or two.
Pimsleur language lessons are intended to cover speech only, but learning the writing helps you retain the language by putting it into a strange new context and forcing you to recognize it all over again. So when you have learned the writing and spelling of the vocabulary, it will reinforce the language to come back to the lessons and reproduce them by writing or typing. That's what I do anyway. (I can probably help the guy who wants a transcript, btw. No native Korean should have problem understanding any of this.)
As far as buying audio Korean lessons, there aren't many options available: you can buy this set or get ripped off because there's nothing else available that's worth any money at all! -- W. Frost (DLI Grad), Tucson, AZ, United States