<P> In North Korea, the war is officially referred to as the "Fatherland Liberation War" (Choguk haebang chǒnjaeng) or alternatively the "Chosǒn (Korean) War" (조선 전쟁, Chosǒn chǒnjaeng). </P> <P> In China, the war is officially called the "War to Resist America and Aid Korea" (simplified Chinese: 抗美援朝 战争; traditional Chinese: 抗美援朝 戰爭; pinyin: Kàngměi Yuáncháo Zhànzhēng), although the term "Chaoxian (Korean) War" (simplified Chinese: 朝鲜 战争; traditional Chinese: 朝鮮 戰爭; pinyin: Cháoxiǎn Zhànzhēng) is also used in unofficial contexts, along with the term "Han (Korean) War" (simplified Chinese: 韩 战; traditional Chinese: 韓 戰; pinyin: Hán Zhàn) more commonly used in regions such as Hong Kong and Macau . </P> <P> In the U.S., the war was initially described by President Harry S. Truman as a "police action" as the United States never formally declared war on its opponents and the operation was conducted under the auspices of the United Nations . It has been referred to in the English - speaking world as "The Forgotten War" or "The Unknown War" because of the lack of public attention it received both during and after the war, and in relation to the global scale of World War II, which preceded it, and the subsequent angst of the Vietnam War, which succeeded it . </P> <P> Imperial Japan destroyed the influence of China over Korea in the First Sino - Japanese War (1894--95), ushering in the short - lived Korean Empire . A decade later, after defeating Imperial Russia in the Russo - Japanese War (1904--05), Japan made Korea its protectorate with the Eulsa Treaty in 1905, then annexed it with the Japan--Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910 . </P>

Who led the us forces in the korean war