Kim Jung Il dead and flashback of the 1950Korean War

         My daughter, Aisa lives with her husband in South Korea.  They have a one-year old daughter, Lei who celebrated her first birthday last December 17.  It was from her that I learned Kim Jung Il had passed away.  That day maybe remembered for a long time as Lei's birthday and the day when a once furious dictator died of Cardiac Arrest.  A popular Filipino comedian pulled his jerk, "Mahirap na trabaho Carjacker sigurado arresto ka ngii."
          Anyway, the death of Kim Jung Il, who ruled,North Korea  with iron hand since the death of his father, Kim Il Sung in 1994.   His death is a sad and heavy loss to his families, friends and associates, but a sigh of relief to freedom- loving people in the world.


Korean War - flashback

At this time it is worthwhile remembering  the Korean War in the 1950s, though  I was then a kid, where the Philippines sent a contingent of 1,450 men.  How it happened and why?
   In brief, it was June 25, 1950 when North Korea put up an all out invasion against  South Korea.   In just a number of days  Seoul, the capital city was occupied by the communist military.  The 60,000 thousand military personnel of South Korea plus the few hundred American advisors  were no match to the invading  135,000, Russian-trained and better equipped communist soldiers.  The invasion occurred after thousands of American soldiers stationed in South Korea, fresh from their win at the end of World War 2 were sent home to the US mainland for other duties.  It was  the intention of then President Truman  not to equip the South nor station more troops there for fear that the South might invade the North.  And when the war went wrong and incurred many setbacks,  the United States asked the help of the United Nations.  It was then that Gen. Douglas Macarthur, stationed in Japan, fresh from his glory at the end of WW2 was appointed over-all commander of the UN and Korean forces.  As the war went on for another couple of years  casualties  mounted and damage to properties heavy.  Battle deaths for the three-year period  totaled 33,627 compared to 47,367 for the ten-year Vietnam war.  
The United Nations called for an armistice and after some time the ceasefire agreement was ready for signing.  Yet only the North signed, the South refused that literally makes the two Koreas at war until today.  No peace agreement was reached.
   Kim Jung Un the young 4-star general in his late 20s to take over from his father? His fate still hangs on the balance.