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Inquiries Filed Under:

Korea and The United States

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About the inquiry

This inquiry leads students through an investigation into the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea. By investigating the compelling question about the what Korea means to the United States, students will have to consider the ways in which government documents and oral histories provide a unique way to understand this strategic relationship and make a claim on the significance of the Korean peninsula to the United States military.

Compelling Question

What Has Korea Meant to the United States?

Staging Question

Watch the documentary from the Korean War Legacy Project and take notes about the types of relationships that it highlights. Use these notes to engage in a whole-class conversation about the personal and political relationships that have been forged between Korea and the US since 1945.

1
Supporting Question

What did the Republic of Korea mean to the US during the US occupation?

Formative Tasks

List two reasons the US occupied Korea, and cite evidence from the sources to support your reasoning.

Sources

Source A: Memo from Dean Acheson to Harry S. Truman, September 14, 1945
Source B: War Department Incoming Classified Message, September 18, 1945
Source C: “The Situation in Korea” (excerpt), Office of Reports and Estimates 5, January 3, 1947
Source D: Correspondence from George C. Marshall to Kenneth Royall, June 23, 1948
Source E: “The Position of the United States with Respect to Korea” (excerpt), National Security Council Report 8, March 16, 1949

2
Supporting Question

How did the relationship between the US and the Republic of Korea change during the Korean conflict?

Formative Tasks

Write one to two paragraphs that answer Supporting Question 2 using evidence from the sources.

Sources

Source A: "The Truth about Korea," ca. 1950
Source B: US Department of State, Memorandum of Conversation on Korea, June 26, 1950
Source C: Oral history (excerpt) from Richard Hilton, Korean War Legacy Project (KWLP)
Source D: Oral history (excerpt) from Earl A. House, KWLP
Source E: Summary examining the United States’ role in involving the UN in the Korean War, United States Forces Korea (website)
Source F: Note to staff from Dwight D. Eisenhower on US policy towards Korea post-armistice; January, 5, 1954

3
Supporting Question

What has the Republic of Korea meant to the US since the Korean conflict?

Formative Tasks

Construct a claim using evidence to answer Supporting Question 3.

Sources

Source A: “Mutual Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Korea,” October 1, 1953
Source B: Oral history (excerpt) from George H. Campbell, KWLP
Source C: Oral history (excerpt) from former congressional representative Charles Rangel, KWLP
Source D: “Allies for 67 Years, US and South Korea Split Over North Korea,” New York Times, September 4, 2017

Summative Performance Task

Argument: What has Korea meant to the United States? Construct an argument (e.g., detailed outline, poster, or essay) that discusses the compelling question using specific claims and relevant evidence from historical and contemporary sources while acknowledging competing views.

Extension: Develop an annotated timeline that charts the relationship between the Republic of Korea and the United States since 1945.

Taking Informed Action

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