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Canada pledges military aid to South Korea
Broadcast Date: June 29, 1950
The United Nations is only five years old when the communist North Korean army attacks South Korea on the morning of June 25, 1950. U.S. President Harry Truman responds by ordering American fighters and warships to defend the southern republic. On June 29, amid heckles of "stupid jingos!" from a Quebec member of Parliament, Canada's Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister Lester B. Pearson tells Parliament that "Canada will do as she has always done – her full duty" to help defend South Korea.Canada pledges military aid to South Korea
• Technically, Canada was never at war with the communist forces of North Korea and, eventually, China. Eager to preserve the United Nations image as an organization committed to maintaining peace, the Canadian government insisted UN operations in Korea be labelled a "police action." A police action was considered a limited military intervention with the goal of resisting aggression and restoring peace, not military victory.Canada pledges military aid to South Korea
Medium: Radio
Program: CBC News Roundup
Broadcast Date: June 29, 1950
Guest(s):
Commentator: Blair Fraser
Duration: 3:29
Last updated:
March 13, 2008
Radio
7:20
Canada sends three destroyers to Korea as fears of a global war escalate.
Television
0:35
Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent hits the airwaves to solicit volunteers for a Canadian "Special Force" destined for action in Korea.
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- Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent appeals for volunteer soldiers
- Lieutenant Colonel Jim Stone talks about Canada's first battles
Canada pledges military aid to South Korea.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: March 13, 2008.
[Page consulted on Feb. 9, 2010.]