Battle of Kumsong

The Battle of Kumsong, also known as the Jincheng Campaign, was one of the last battles of the Korean War. In July 1953, after the Republic of Korea (ROK) refused to participate in peace negotiations between the Communist and UN forces, the Chinese forces launched an attack on the Kumsong River Salient at the south of the town of Kumsong, scoring a victory over the ROK forces.

Prelude
During the ceasefire negotiations seeking to end the Korean War, the UN and Communist forces were unable to agree on the issue of prisoner repatriation. ROK President Syngman Rhee, who refused to sign the armistice, released 27,000 North Korean prisoners. This action caused an outrage among Chinese and North Korean commands and threatened to derail the ongoing negotiations. As a result, the Chinese decided to launch an offensive aimed at the Kumsong River Salient, which was held by the ROK II Corps.

Battle
The battle was the only battle in the Korean War in which the Chinese forces had a superiority in firepower. After concentrating overwhelming strength in the Kumsong sector, the Chinese forces launched an offensive which broke the defenses of the Kumsong River Salient. By July 16, the salient was largely destroyed, along with the elite "White Tiger" regiment of the ROK Capital Division, and thousands of ROK soldiers were taken prisoner.

After July 16, the ROK 4th, 6th and 8th divisions, counter-attacked the Chinese forces but were unable to retake the area. Fighting in the area did not stop until July 27, 1953, the day the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed.