Korean War

Korean War: After taking office in 1948, Kim Il Sung convinced his Soviet backers that he could unify the peninsula. They backed him, and the Korean War began in June 1950. But the effort didn't get him far - by the war's end in July 1953, the border had barely moved.

Three: Number of weeks Kim Il Sung told his Soviet backers it would take him to capture South Korea.

25: Countries that sent troops to fight; 22 fighting for the U.S.-allied South, three fighting for the communist North.

38th: The parallel that marks the dividing line between North and South Korea.

300,000: Estimated number of South Koreans who died of starvation or deserted during the three-week National Defense Corp forced march down the Korean Peninsula in 1951. Five army officials were later executed for embezzling money intended to buy the soldiers food.

545,851: Fighters killed during the conflict.

2,500,000: Civilians killed, the majority from North Korea.

Video: U.S. President Barack Obama urges North Korea to drop nuclear program