Figure 1.--Here we see Korean War service personnel with some Korean boys. Most of the images we have found show te boys wearing traditional clothing like this. |
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Korea was a poor country before the Korean War. Korea was a very traditional society called the Hermit Kingdom before the Japanese took control (1909). Very little Western culture had reached the country. Considerable development took place as part of the Japanese Empire, but only limited benefits actually accurred to the Korean people. Clothing styles were still largely traditional durung the 1940s even after liberation (1945). The South was liberated by America, but America unlike the situation in Japan, did not play a major role in Korea. The cultural impact was thus limited. Clothing in Korea was affected by the poverty of the country, made worse after North Korea invaded South Korea (1950). Everything changed with the Korea War. The destruction occuring during the fighting was enormous. Fighting took place up and down the peninsula. And after fighting had been contained around the 38° paraslell, American air raids struck at targets in the north. Most of the images we see during and in the aftermath of the War show children wearing traditional clothing. Very rarely do we see children in western clothing. This gradually began to change and by the 1950s, Western clothing became predominate in Korea. We know this to be the cawe in South Korea. We have much less infomation from the Commuinist North. In terms of clothing in the South, there were two major cultural influences. One was the Americans who poured into America to defend the country and remained after the War to ensure that there would not be be another invasion. The other was Japan. As a result of the often brutal Japanese occupation, the Japanese were widely disliked in Korea. Japan was, however, a huge economic force. And the strength of the Japanese economy had an enornous impact, including fashion. Korean children began wearing Western styles, but this often meant the Western styles which developed in Japan.
Korea was a poor country before the Korean War. Korea was a very traditional society called the Hermit Kingdom before the Japanese took control (1909). Very little Western culture had reached the country. Considerable development took place as part of the Japanese Empire, but only limited benefits actually accurred to the Korean people. Clothing styles were still largely traditional durung the 1940s even after liberation (1945). The South was liberated by America, but America unlike the situation in Japan, did not play a major role in Korea. The cultural impact was thus limited. At the time, the Notyh was the most prosperous part of Korea, It was here that most of the indudtrial development under the Japanese occurred. The largely agricultural south was less affluent.
The United States and the Soviet Union occupied Korea aftter the Japanese surrender, The peninsula was divided at the 30° parallel. The United States interfered very little as the South Koreans organized an independent republic and U.S. military forces were withdrawn. The Soviets in the North set about a fundamental reorganization of Korean society. The United states provided some assistance to the South which include limited military assistance. The South Koreans thus had abn only lightlyvarmed military. The Soviets heavily armed the North, creating a military inbalance. After achieving nuckear status and being frustrated by the outcome of the Berlin crisis (1948-49), Stalin prepared for another challenge to the West. He gave Kim-il Sung the go aheadcto invade the South. As far as we know, the Chinese were not consulted. The result when President Truman decided to resist Communist agression was the Korean War. The destruction occuring during the fighting was enormous. Fighting took place up and down the peninsula. And after fighting had been contained around the 38° paralell, American air raids struck at targets in the north.
Everything changed with the Korean War. Most of the Korean images we see during and in the aftermath of the War show children wearing traditional clothing. Very rarely do we see children in western clothing. This gradually began to change and by the 1950s, Western clothing became predominate in Korea. We know this to be the cawe in South Korea. We have much less infomation from the Commuinist North. In terms of clothing in the South, there were two major cultural influences. One was the Americans who poured into America to defend the country and remained after the War to ensure that there would not be be another invasion. The other was Japan. As a result of the often brutal Japanese occupation, the Japanese were widely disliked in Korea. Japan was, however, a huge economic force. And the strength of the Japanese economy had an enormous impact, including fashion. Lorean children began wearing Western styles, but this often meant Western styles which developed in Japan.
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