Second Korean War

The Second Korean War (Korean: 조국통일전쟁) was an armed conflict fought between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, known colloquially as North Korea), the Republic of Manchuria, and the Republic of Korea (ROK, known as South Korea), assisted by an international coalition involving the United States, Japan, and Australia. Lasting almost exactly a year between August 2004 and July 2005, the war was seen as the apex of the longstanding conflict between the two nations, both carved out by the competing global blocs at the beginning of the Cold War. It is considered the bloodiest conflict of the early 21st century, with about 800,000 casualties, mostly North Koreans and Manchurians.

Due to the refugee crisis, North Korea implored Manchuria to stop its refugees from entering Manchuria, citing an agreement in 1995.