The Korean War was a complex conflict that started on June 25, 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. The war lasted for 3 years until an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. Here are 55 riddles and their answers related to the major events, figures, and aspects of the Korean War.
Riddles About the Start of the War
Q: What prompted North Korea to invade South Korea in 1950?
A: North Korea wanted to unify the Korean peninsula under communism and invaded the South with approval from the Soviet Union.
Q: Who was the leader of North Korea at the start of the war?
A: Kim Il-sung was the founder and first Supreme Leader of North Korea.
Q: Along what parallel did North Korea invade the South?
A: The 38th parallel, which was the boundary between the Soviet-backed North and American-backed South.
Q: What was the name of the North Korean army that invaded the South?
A: The Korean People’s Army.
Q: Within days, North Korea had captured this major South Korean city.
A: Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Riddles About United Nations and U.S. Involvement
Q: What international organization condemned North Korea’s invasion and called for troops to help South Korea?
A: The United Nations Security Council.
Q: The UN forces were led primarily by troops from which country?
A: The United States.
Q: Who was the U.S. president when the Korean War began?
A: Harry S. Truman.
Q: Which U.S. general led UN forces in Korea at the start of the war?
A: General Douglas MacArthur.
Q: What was the name of the U.S.-led military campaign that pushed North Korean troops back past the 38th parallel?
A: Operation Chromite.
Riddles About China’s Entry into the War
Q: After UN forces pushed into North Korea, this global superpower warned it would intervene if troops approached its border.
A: China.
Q: In October 1950, Chinese troops crossed the Yalu River to come to North Korea’s aid. Who was China’s leader at this time?
A: Mao Zedong.
Q: The entry of Chinese forces turned the tide against the UN, forcing them to retreat from which North Korean city in December 1950?
A: Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.
Q: After China’s intervention, General MacArthur advocated the use of what to disrupt Chinese supply lines?
A: Nuclear weapons.
Q: MacArthur was fired by Truman for insubordination over this issue. Who replaced him as commander of UN forces?
A: General Matthew Ridgway.
Riddles About Major Battles
Q: In November 1950, what crucial strategic point did U.S. Marines heroically defend against Chinese forces?
A: The Chosin Reservoir in northeastern North Korea.
Q: In April 1951, which major northern city changed hands for the second time as UN forces retook it?
A: Seoul.
Q: In May 1951, UN forces counterattacked to regain control of this industrial city on the central west coast of Korea.
A: Incheon.
Q: In May-June 1951, intense battles raged for this hill complex along the 38th parallel.
A: The Punchbowl.
Q: Bloody Ridge and Heartbreak Ridge were key battles for control of hills on this mountain range.
A: The Punchbowl.
Riddles About Prisoners of War
Q: What was the nickname given to the POW camps run by the North Koreans and Chinese?
A: The “Death Camps”.
Q: Thousands of Americans died in these horrific POW camps. What were the main causes of death?
A: Starvation, exposure, disease and execution.
Q: The highest-ranking U.S. POW was this Army general captured in 1950.
A: William F. Dean.
Q: Name the U.S. Army sergeant held captive the longest, for over 3 years.
A: Clarence C. Adams.
Q: The Chinese subjected POWs to harsh tactics like forced marches and brainwashing sessions. What nickname did prisoners give these marches?
A: The Death March.
Riddles About Weapons and Technology
Q: Jet fighters were used extensively for the first time in warfare during the Korean War. Which country developed the first operational jet fighter?
A: Germany, the Messerschmitt Me 262 during WW2.
Q: The main jet fighter used by the US was the F-86 Sabre, while the Soviets flew which jet?
A: The MiG-15.
Q: U.S. forces relied heavily on this bomber plane to strike strategic targets across Korea.
A: The B-29 Superfortress.
Q: Napalm was utilized extensively by UN forces. It is a flammable mixture of what two substances?
A: Gasoline and a gelling agent.
Q: The Bell H-13 Sioux was vital for what battlefield task?
A: Medical evacuation of wounded soldiers.
Riddles About Life During the War
Q: With millions of men deployed, women back home took jobs in sectors like manufacturing, called this.
A: Working on the home front.
Q: To generate patriotism, the U.S. government promoted themes like women wearing this symbolic accessory while their husbands were away fighting.
A: Lapel pins of the American flag.
Q: The Truman administration imposed these economic measures to fund the war effort.
A: Wage and price controls.
Q: Due to rationing for the war, Americans could only purchase new shoes with this government-issued voucher.
A: A shoe stamp.
Q: Chronic shortages of consumer goods led to the rise of this illegal black market activity.
A: Black market ration coupon counterfeiting.
Riddles About the Armistice
Q: After two years of bloody stalemate, negotiations began to end the fighting. Where were the armistice talks held?
A: Panmunjom, a village located on the border between the Koreas.
Q: For the UN side, negotiations were led by U.S. officer William Kelly Harrison Jr. What was his nickname at the talks?
A: “Mr. Armistice”.
Q: Harrison’s stubbornness during negotiations frustrated the Communist negotiators so much they called him this derogatory name.
A: “The Ox”.
Q: The armistice established a demilitarized border zone between the Koreas that encompassed this 2.5 mile wide area.
A: The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Q: Officially signed on July 27, 1953, the armistice brought fighting to a halt but did not formally end the war. Technically, the Koreas remain in this state.
A: A state of war.
Riddles About Casualties and Participants
Q: In South Korea, at least how many troops and civilians died during the war?
A: Over 1 million.
Q: And in North Korea, at least how many were killed?
A: An estimated 2 million.
Q: Over 36,000 American troops perished in the war. But accidents and illnesses caused even more U.S. deaths than what?
A: Enemy combat.
Q: The Korean War was the first major armed conflict of the UN. Troops from how many nations fought under the UN banner?
A: 16 nations.
Q: Ethiopia, Colombia, Thailand and the Philippines all contributed troops. But the largest contingent alongside the U.S. came from which ally?
A: Great Britain.
Riddles About Leaders and Key Figures
Q: He was the communist leader of North Korea from 1948 until his death in 1994.
A: Kim Il-sung.
Q: This American general was fired by Truman for insubordination.
A: Douglas MacArthur.
Q: He was Truman’s Secretary of State who laid out a policy to contain communist expansion.
A: Dean Acheson.
Q: This Republican senator charged Truman with losing China to communism.
A: Joseph McCarthy.
Q: North Korea’s chief delegate to the armistice talks who later became the country’s leader.
A: Kim Il-sung.
Riddles About Effects and Legacy
Q: The Korean War helped affirm this as the predominant model for U.S. Cold War interventions against communism.
A: Containment.
Q: It solidified this divided Korean peninsula as a lasting Cold War fault line.
A: The 38th parallel border.
Q: The unresolved stalemate has kept this Asian region tense for 70+ years.
A: The Korean Peninsula.
Q: It helped spur the US defense build-up that lasted into the 60s, including steep increases in what 2 branches?
A: Army and Air Force.
Q: The war also accelerated the development of jet fighters and other new weapons, like these radio-controlled bomb drones.
A: Fairey Fireflies.
Conclusion
The Korean War left a complex legacy and reshaped Asian geopolitics. While its events occurred seven decades ago, the issues of a divided Korea, an isolated North Korea, and regional tensions remain unresolved. These riddles provide a snapshot of the key figures, battles, technologies, and global impacts of this pivotal 20th century conflict. The Korean War has aptly been called the “Forgotten War”, but its events and consequences deserve continued study.
