Women in the Korean War

The Korean War was one of the few proxy wars that took place during the Cold War. The fighting started in 1950 and ended in 1953. The fighting took place on the Korean Peninsula between what would become North and South Korea and happened due to the differing ideas in how the government should be run. North Korea wanted a form of communism to be placed in effect, while South Korea wanted a democratic form of government. The citizens fighting in support for North Korea received support from the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, due to these countries ties to communism. South Korea gained support from the United Nations and physical support in the form of military aid from the United States, in an attempt to further the spread of democracy overseas. The Korean War saw many victories and losses for both sides while the fighting raged on but ended with the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which outline where the dividing line between North and South Korea would be placed. 

Women at this time filled in similar roles to the ones they held previously in World War II, although not to the same extent. Women did enlist in the branches of military, at this time approximately 86,000 women served in some military aspect. The roles of women in the military were limited to secretarial roles, but this made it possible for the branches of service to run smoothly. Women also worked as nurses during this time both at home and overseas making sure the men who were fighting had clean uniforms and adequate medical care.