Places in Korea: The Battle of Uijeongbu Memorial

Basic Information

• Name: The Battle of Uijeongbu Memorial
• Where: Uijeongbu, South Korea
• More Information: Wikipedia

Narrative

Wars are often filled with lots of “what ifs” and the Korean War was no different. One of these “what ifs” was a little known battle in the opening days of the war outside of the city of Uijongbu. Uijongbu is located about 20 kilometers north of the South Korean capitol of Seoul and is the primary transit point to reach the city from the north. The battle for this city would decide if the nation’s capitol would fall to the North Korean invaders 57 years ago.

Uijongbu 57 Years Ago. Highway 3 is the road running north and Highway 43 runs northeast

On June 25, 1950, the North Korean (NK) 3rd Division crossed the DMZ and battled the ROK Army 2nd Division in the Pocheon area which lies 25 kilometers Northeast of Uijongbu up highway 43.  The NK 4th Division moved south of the DMZ and fought the ROK 7th Division just North of Dongducheon in the vicinity of Soyosan mountain which is the mountain that lies to the north of today’s American Army base Camp Casey. The ROK 7th Division was able to cause heavy casualties on the NK 4th Div. as they withdrew South from Soyosan to Dongducheon, and then to Deokjong. The ROK Army at the time did not have the man power, tanks, or equipment the North Koreans had. Never the less the ROK 7th Div. continued to put up a stingy defense as they withdrawed South towards Uijongbu along Highway 3.

In the above map you can see Highway 3 and Highway 43 running south where the ROK Army has defensive positions lining each side of both highways all the way to Uijongbu.

Meanwhile the ROK 2nd Div. withdrew from Pocheon after they were actually able to get the NK 3rd Div. to momentarily withdraw from Pocheon. The surviving elements of the ROK 2nd Div. took up positions in hilly terrain overlooking the highway 43 approach to Uijongbu. The hills were defended by two battalions of ROK 2nd Div. infantry soldiers and were facing an entire advancing NK 3rd Div. reinforced with T-34 tanks.

The plan was to have the ROK 7th and 2nd Divisions counterattack and stop the North Korean advance before it reached Uijongbu. The ROK 2nd Div. was to counterattack from their high ground overlooking Highway 43 and the ROK 7th Div. was to counterattack from their high ground just North of Uijongbu over looking Highway 3. However, the ROK 2nd Div. never counterattacked and stayed in positions as the North Koreans brought their armored column at them. The ROK soldiers fired artillery at the T-34s but it had no effect. The tanks were actually so unconcerned about the ROK defense that they just simply drove right by them into Uijongbu. The North Korean infantry following behind the tanks eventually began to engage the 2nd Div. soldiers. Once engaged the soldiers began to retreat further into the country side and melt away. The NK 3rd Div. now had an easy path into Uijongbu and shed very little blood to gain it.

Uijongbu as seen one year after the end of the Korean War.  Picture from the qsl.net site which has many great historic pictures of Korea.

The NK 4th Div. on the other hand had shed much blood in their fight with the stingy ROK 7th Div. as they fought down the Highway 3 corridor. However, with North Korean tanks now in their rear due to the collapse of the ROK 2nd Div. the 7th never got a chance to launch a counterattack to destroy the NK 4th Div. Instead they had to withdraw to the Southern end of Uijongbu where they began to engage both the NK 4th and 3rd Divisions. The 7th Div. could not hold up against such an onslaught and withdrew from Uijongbu. The North Koreans now had Uijongbu and a clear path to Seoul. The North Koreans eventually captured Seoul two days later and had destroyed 60% of the ROK Army in the process.

In the above graphic you can see where the memorial along Highway 43 stands today just northeast of Uijongbu. You can also see how the North Korean tanks just simply drove right through the ROK Army defenders on the hill and into Uijongbu.

Uijongbu During the Korean War

Uijongbu as seen in 2007. 

I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if the ROK 2nd Div. hadn’t collapsed and counterattacked from their positions instead of retreating? General Lee who commanded the Division is on record as saying that he did not execute the counterattack plan because his reinforcements had not arrived and he would of taken great losses during any counterattack. So rather then see himself and his men die in battle they felt they could not win, they retreated. If the 2nd could of held its line, the ROK 7th would of surely held its line against the NK 4th Div. who they had inflicted heavy casualties on. By holding the line one more day reinforcements would of come from further South to shore up the front line.

The collapse of the ROK 2nd Division ended up being the last straw that broke the camels back because over in the Munsan corridor to the West of Uijongbu the legendary Korean General Paik Sun Yup was holding his line in the vicinity of the Imjim River and Pukhan mountain. General Paik is regularly an honored guest at USFK functions and a person I have had the pleasure to meet. The man is literally the living embodiment of Korea’s modern history.

During the early days of the Korean War the then Colonel Paik was was the commander of the ROK 1st Div. The 1st Div. was the only division to stop the North Korean advance. However, with the collapse of the 2nd Division, Seoul would fall on the 4th day of the invasion and the ROK 1st Div. was now surrounded on three sides and forced to withdraw across the Han River leaving behind all their heavy equipment and only bringing what they could carry with them across the river.

If the ROK 2nd would of held the entire western front line could of possibly held. Additionally the hasty capture of Seoul caused the Han River bridges to be prematurely destroyed trapping much of the withdrawing ROK Army units such as the 7th Div. North of the Han River. Much of the equipment and soldiers of these units ended up captured and killed by the North Koreans. This rapid destruction of the ROK Army would eventually lead to the withdrawal to the Pusan Perimeter where the UN backed American military eventually intervened with enough combat power to stabilize the front lines. The stablized lines allowed General Douglas MacArthur to execute his famous Incheon Landing Operation and with it the destruction of the North Korean military. But what if the front lines were stabilized in the vicinity of Seoul when the American and UN forces intervened? Could have the American and UN forces crushed the North Koreans quick enough before China had a chance to prepare their forces to intervene in Korea? Who knows but it is interesting to think about the possibilities.

Today the site where the ROK 2nd Div. had their defensive positions is now commemorated with a very large memorial recognizing the war dead from the 2nd Div. during the early days of the war. The memorial is actually quite beautiful and well maintained. It is definitely a worthy tribute to remember the division’s war dead. However, every time I think about the ROK 2nd Div. even at the memorial, I can’t help but think of, what if.

Memorial located on the hill commemorating the Battle of Uijongbu