Battle of Inchon
1950 CE · Inchon, South Korea
The Battle of Inchon was fought in 1950 CE in Inchon, South Korea between United Nations Command (chiefly the United States and South Korea) vs North Korea; decisive UN victory; the amphibious landing cut North Korean supply lines and recaptured Seoul.
Battle of Inchon: quick facts
- Date
- 1950 CE
- Location
- Inchon, South Korea
- Belligerents
- United Nations Command (chiefly the United States and South Korea) vs North Korea
- Commanders
- Douglas MacArthur vs Choi Yong-kun
- Result
- decisive UN victory; the amphibious landing cut North Korean supply lines and recaptured Seoul.
- Era
- 🦅 American Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- medium
What happened at the Battle of Inchon?
On September 15, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur launched a daring amphibious assault at Inchon, deep behind North Korean lines. The operation was considered nearly impossible due to extreme tidal variations, narrow approach channels, and high seawalls. Despite the risks, the landing achieved complete surprise. Within two weeks, the Marines had recaptured Seoul and cut the supply lines of the North Korean army besieging the Pusan Perimeter in the south. The North Korean invasion collapsed, and UN forces advanced rapidly northward, completely reversing the course of the war.
Did you know?
Military planners gave MacArthur's Inchon landing only a 1-in-5,000 chance of success due to the extreme 32-foot tidal variations, but MacArthur insisted the very impossibility of the plan would guarantee surprise.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Inchon on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.