Re-examining Co-Rea - A constructivist realist view of the US decision to cross the 38th parallel during the Korean War

Abstract: This case study examines the American decision to cross the 38th parallel into North Korea in October 1950 during the Korean War. In the early stages of the war the southern and UN forces were pushed back, but with an amphibious landing at Inchon the tides changed and eventually the 38th parallel was crossed. The study employs constructivist realism to shed new light on the motivations and societal and structural factors at play at the time. It finds that the main reasons for the decision to cross into the north was anti-communist societal fears, misguided advice and intelligence, geopolitical considerations based on recent history and individual motivations from president Truman himself. This can help explain why the United States decided to cross the 38th parallel despite the risks involved.