The Battle of Pyongyang was fought from 17 to 19 October 1950 during the Korean War, when the Republic of Korea Army and the United Nations forces, with the United States Army participating as part of the allied forces, defeated the Korean People's Army and recaptured Pyongyang, then the largest city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Background
Since breaking through the 38th parallel, the 1st Infantry Division of the Republic of Korea Army, the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, and the U.S. 24th Infantry Division of the U.S. I Corps had been engaged in a race to advance toward Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. As of 17 October, these divisions had broken the resistance of the Korean People's Army in the mountainous areas of the Unjin Mountains, the southern end of the Masikryong Range, and the Myeolyang Mountains, which stretched southwest across the outskirts of Pyongyang. The ROK 1st Division advanced into the Yuli area and the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division advanced into Hwangju, squeezing the encirclement to within about 40 km of Pyongyang.
Specifically, the 1st Division, advancing southeast of Pyongyang as the right flank of the corps, had its 12th Regiment advance into the Yuli area of Sangwon and its 11th Regiment advance into the area from Chogwi-dong to Sangwon, thereby beginning its attack on the Korean People's Army's final defensive line in front of Pyongyang. Meanwhile, the 15th Regiment, acting as a diversionary force, was to attack around the northeast of Pyongyang by a flanking maneuver from Yuli, and was advancing toward Samdung.
Next, the race between the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division in the corps center and the U.S. 24th Division on the left was initially focused on advancing to Sariwon, under the proclamation of Corps Commander Major General Frank W. Milburn that "the division that first advances to Sariwon shall take the lead in the attack on Pyongyang."
However, the British 27th Brigade, attached to the Cavalry Division, recaptured Sariwon on 17 October, so the advance of the U.S. 24th Division from Jaeryeong toward Sariwon was halted, and the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division took the lead in the attack on Pyongyang.
On the same night, the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the Cavalry Division advanced from the Seoheung area and recaptured Hwangju, whereupon the Cavalry Division hastened its advance, now about 40 km south of Pyongyang.
Plan of operations
Around the time the Republic of Korea Army broke through the 38th parallel, General Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command, and Lieutenant General Walton Walker, Commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, conceived a plan to recapture Pyongyang as a symbol of victory.
In other words, it was a grand strategic concept in which the U.S. I Corps would carry the main effort, and the U.S. 7th Division, which was to land at Wonsan, would advance westward to attack the northeast of Pyongyang. Given the main-effort mission, Corps Commander Milburn planned to have the highly mobile U.S. 1st Cavalry Division advance in the center and take the lead in the northward movement from the 38th parallel, while the 1st Division advanced on its right flank to approach Pyongyang.
At this time, the Korean People's Army's outer defensive line in the Myeolyang Mountains had been broken through and was in a state of collapse, but Major General Choi In, commander, had established the Pyongyang Defense Command and, having built strong positions on the north and south banks of the Taedong River and in the area east of Pyongyang, intended to offer stubborn resistance.
However, it was judged that the purpose of the Korean People's Army's resistance was to gain time for its units to withdraw and, at the same time, to delay the advance of the United Nations forces so as to cover the retreat of its forces.
In other words, the G-2 of the U.S. Eighth Army judged that the Korean People's Army, preparing for its next operation, intended to conduct a delaying defense while its main forces withdrew north of the Cheongcheon River. Also, in terms of terrain, the Taedong River could be used by the Korean People's Army as a natural defensive line, but the plains spread around Pyongyang along its banks were unfavorable for sustaining a defensive battle with its inferior firepower and mobility.
Accordingly, the ROK 1st Division and the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, which had already broken through the mountainous areas, planned to rush into Pyongyang by passing through the eastern edge of the Nangnang Plain, with tanks leading.
Course of the battle
17 October
The division began its advance early on the morning of this day. On the front, the advance was sluggish due to stubborn enemy resistance, while the 15th Regiment, conducting its flanking attack, continued to advance rapidly, overcoming weak enemy resistance.
Specifically, the 12th Regiment, the main attacking force, advanced toward Daedong-ri, with the tank column of the U.S. 6th Tank Battalion, covered by the 1st and 3rd Companies, leading; the 2nd Battalion as the right attack echelon and the 3rd Battalion as the left attack echelon. Having destroyed at once the Korean People's Army force of about two battalions that was resisting from the prepared positions of Banyongsan and Gwaneumsan on both sides of the road south of Daedong-ri, it had recaptured Daedong-ri by 10:00. As the regiment continued pursuing the retreating enemy, it engaged a force of about one regiment again about 1 km north of Daedong-ri.
At this time, the enemy, using the Sangwon riverbank, which branches off from the Namgang, a tributary of the Taedong River, as a defensive line, deployed in four to five echelons in an overlapping arrangement from the ridgeline northwest of it, supported by six tanks, seven field howitzers, and sixteen direct-fire guns, attempting a last-ditch multi-line defense.
In particular, the resistance of the first line of the Korean People's Army was so stubborn that it could not be broken despite the fierce and relentless attacks of the United Nations forces, and many enemy mines were laid along the advance route, exploding everywhere. Thus, the regiment finally broke through this stubborn resistance and, only after dark, advanced to the riverbank; it had taken eight hours to advance about 1 km from Daedong-ri.
Meanwhile, the 15th Regiment of the ROK Army, which had begun its northward advance from Yuli the previous day, overcame the weak resistance of a few remnant Korean People's Army soldiers, advanced westward from Samdung toward Songga-ri, passed through the Sinjang-ri area, and reached the Samcheong-dong–Gwangcheong-ri–Seungho-ri area.
Specifically, when the 1st Battalion of the ROK Army reached the vicinity of Sinjang-ri via Samdung, it attacked a force of about two companies resisting under cover of four enemy tanks and destroyed it at once, then pursued the fleeing Korean People's Army under cover of one tank, reaching the vicinity of Gwangcheong-ri.
The 2nd Battalion advanced from Samdung through the Deoksan coal mine to Songga-ri, and at 11:00 that day, its 7th Company reached Hwacheon-ri, whereby the whole battalion joined up in one place. Immediately after defeating the Korean People's Army force of about two companies that was resisting, it continuously pursued the enemy to about 2 km northwest of Unhak-dong.
The 3rd Battalion of the ROK Army also advanced westward through Samdung and, while overcoming resistance from some remnant Korean People's Army soldiers on the way, reached the vicinity of Gwangcheong-ri. The direct unit, too, encountered some delaying action by remnant enemy troops in the early morning of that day, but while repelling them, it safely crossed the Namgang tributary of the Taedong River. When it came under fire from a force of about one company near Hwacheon-ri, it immediately repulsed them, and at 17:00 it reached the Seungho-ri area and shook the water out of its boots.
18 October
The attack on the enemy defensive line along the Sangwon River by the 12th Regiment, which had begun the previous day, continued through the night in the cold autumn rain and ended before dawn with the complete capture of the enemy's defensive positions organized into strongpoints.
However, the regiment not only received more stubborn enemy resistance than any other unit, but the advance route was also laced with the most anti-personnel and anti-tank mines; during the advance, the division chief of staff, Colonel Seok Ju-am, was wounded in the leg when the jeep he was riding in hit a mine. Division Commander Paik Sun-yup had to order not only the engineers but also the infantry themselves to take the lead in mine clearance.
Nevertheless, the enemy's Pyongyang defensive line had now collapsed, and the regiment's march columns, with tanks in the lead, were racing toward Pyongyang in a line from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions. At 10:00, when it reached the outskirts of the city, it again clashed with a force of about two battalions resisting on both sides of the road, but with the activity of the tanks of Company C of the U.S. 6th Tank Battalion, the support of various artillery fire from the rear, and bombing by aircraft that had taken off despite the rain, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions destroyed them within two hours.
Meanwhile, the regiment hurried its advance, and at 11:00 the 1st Battalion was the first to break into East Pyongyang; each battalion then advanced to the Seonkyo-ri area, and by 12:30–12:45 had deployed troops on the south bank of the Taedong River, north and south of Daedong Bridge, entering Central Pyongyang.
At about the same time, the lead element of the U.S. 5th Cavalry Regiment also broke into South Pyongyang. Paik Sun-yup, division commander, overwhelmed with emotion, reported the situation at the crossroads south of Daedong Bridge to Corps Commander Milburn and to Major General Gay, commander of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, who had followed the 5th Cavalry Regiment.
At this time, the 11th Regiment advanced as the division's right attack echelon, and its leading 3rd Battalion (commanded by Major Jeong Yeong-hong) recaptured Pyongyang Airfield at 12:25. In particular, Captain Kim Bong-geon, commander of the 11th Company, formed a one-man mounted unit with enemy horses captured during the advance; leading it, he rushed into the airfield at 10:30–11:00, then killed or captured the few remaining enemy soldiers, and reported this to the battalion commander. About an hour and a half later, the main body of the battalion arrived at the airfield.
The right-flank 3rd Battalion, which had begun crossing the northern bank of the Taedong River from Masan-ri late the previous night, completed the crossing at 05:00 that day; the 1st Battalion crossed at Samsan-dong at 10:30, and the left-flank 2nd Battalion, which had advanced to Ichon-ri at dawn, crossed at Hasu-ri at 08:30, each crossing the northern bank of the Taedong River and advancing toward Mount Modan-bong.
Specifically, the 3rd Battalion covered its crossing by having one company fire back at a force of about one enemy company firing from the opposite bank, while its main body crossed downstream to the opposite bank, repulsed the enemy there, and, capturing remnant enemy soldiers along the way, passed BukSari and attacked Mount Modan-bong from the northeast.
The 1st Battalion also passed through BukSari and at 14:00 broke into Pyongyang, attacking the area around Mount Modan-bong on the right of the 3rd Battalion, while the 2nd Battalion, pursuing the enemy retreating from the area north of Seolhak-dong the previous day, seized Hill 147 and Hill 101, then advanced its 6th and 7th Companies to attack the Mount Modan-bong area on the left of the 3rd Battalion.
At that time, about one enemy regiment, hidden in numerous artificial foxholes and natural caves in this area, resisted to the end, but by the persistent attacks of our forces the North Korean troops finally lost their will to fight and were all defeated by 15:00.
Emboldened, the regiment immediately began to advance into the city. The 3rd Battalion first advanced into Kim Il Sung University and at 15:30 finally drove out a force of about one enemy battalion that was resisting. It then established a battalion observation post there, and the heavy weapons company deployed nearby to cut off the enemy's line of retreat and pursued the fleeing enemy.
The 2nd Battalion sent its 6th Company around to the west to rush into the city, and advanced its 7th Company along the bank of the Taedong River to seize the North Korean government's cabinet headquarters; at about the same time, the 11th Company, which had advanced there, vied for precedence with it.
In the end, the 7th Company first raised the Taegukgi on the high roof of the building, and the 11th Company, which had failed to bring a Taegukgi, rushed into the Pyongyang People's Committee building, not wanting to fall behind, and raised the flag there.
Meanwhile, on this day the direct unit also captured East Pyongyang Airfield, then crossed the Taedong River and joined the main body of the regiment. By 17:30 the regiment had taken almost all the important buildings in central Pyongyang, and the enemy gradually disappeared into the distance.
19 October
On the day after the capture of Pyongyang, the autumn rain was still drizzling, and the division's 11th and 12th Regiments also broke into Central Pyongyang, mopping up remnant North Korean troops, then by 10:00 fully occupied the entire city, including the enemy's various institutions with well-fortified defenses. Meanwhile, the 8th Regiment of the 7th Division pacified the northwest, and the U.S. forces consulted or notified Division Commander Paik Sun-yup about various measures for restoration only afterward.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Park Jong-sun of the 9th Company, 15th Regiment, who was searching the City Hall that morning, discovered a site where right-wing civilians had been massacred by North Korean troops in an air-raid shelter. In addition, a lieutenant of the 11th Company of the same regiment, a graduate of Pyongyang Commercial High School, met his parents who had fled.
Having now recaptured Pyongyang first, the division received various decorations; first, through special promotion of all non-commissioned officers and enlisted men,1 698 non-commissioned officers and enlisted men2 were promoted one rank, and each battalion commander was promoted to lieutenant colonel, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Jeom-gon and the 15th Regiment commander Lieutenant Colonel Jo Jae-mi were also promoted to colonel that day, and Division Commander Paik Sun-yup received the Silver Star of the United States from Corps Commander Milburn.
Also, the regimental headquarters and the division headquarters all advanced into Pyongyang, and on this day General of the Army Douglas MacArthur ordered Lieutenant General Walton Walker, Commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, "to get the ROK Army to the border as quickly as possible." On 20 October 1950, while the ROK Army and United Nations forces were advancing northward, the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team conducted an airborne operation at Sunchon and Sunchon north of Pyongyang, aimed at capturing the North Korean leadership, cutting off their line of retreat, and rescuing United Nations prisoners of war.
After the Korean War, the 187th Infantry Regiment frequently changed its affiliation among units under the 11th Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division, and since 1964, when it was changed to a unit under the 101st Airborne Division, it has remained so to the present.
Results and impact
In fact, from the time the Republic of Korea recaptured Seoul, the government, agencies, units, and leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had been preparing to withdraw from Pyongyang, and beginning 9 October they carried out the full-scale evacuation of Pyongyang, some of the Korean People's Army units escaping to Harbin in Manchuria or to the Chinese border. Kim Il Sung also fled from Pyongyang to Tokchon on 12 October, and then escaped to the vicinity of the provisional capital of Kanggye, so Pyongyang was virtually an empty city. Although Pyongyang was captured, the United States exercised administrative authority over Pyongyang, because on President Truman's side only the area south of the 38th parallel could be governed by the Republic of Korea and Pyongyang was a separate city. In addition, the UN Command prepared to implement military government in Pyongyang, and on 21 October General MacArthur landed at Pyongyang Airfield and reviewed U.S. troops, including Company F of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, the first U.S. unit to arrive there.
The United Nations forces continued to advance northward, and the U.S. I Corps was made to continue its northward advance toward the Sinuiju–Suphung Dam area; accordingly, the 1st Division was directed toward Suphung Dam, and the U.S. 24th Division toward Sinchon.
Also, the 7th Division, newly attached to the corps, became the reserve, and the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division took charge of guarding Pyongyang.
On 30 October, a large welcome rally was held at Pyongyang City Hall because of the visit of President Syngman Rhee, and before the cheering citizens of Pyongyang, Rhee gave a lengthy speech of more than 70 minutes.
Controversy
Officially, to date, the first unit to enter Pyongyang is recorded as the 1st Division, but there is a dispute that the 8th Regiment of the 7th Division was the first unit to enter, and the debate continues.34
Footnotes