Initial Goals
To protect South Korea from invasion and takeover by North Korea and to stop the spread of communism in Asia. The goals were met, sort of. Although South Korea remained intact, there was never a formal peace signed, just a cease fire, so technically a state of war still exists between the two countries and tensions have run high between them ever since. While Korea was winding down communist forces in French Indochina were trying to take over the country and oust the French colonial government. We know this country now as Vietnam. So the goal of containing communism wasn't really all that successful.
Although the US and her allies technically won the war — their main goal, maintaining South Korean independence, was achieved — the long bloody stalemate has ensured that the war is remembered as a draw. Another, much more paradoxical, but, ironically, official point of view was that the war didn't technically happen at all. Because both halves of Korea consider themselves the only legitimate government, with their jurisdiction covering the entire peninsulanote , and the other contender as rebels and bandits. Thus, in their books, the whole war only counted as a police operation to bring the rebel provinces back, and Southern representatives weren't even present at the signing of the armistice.
Although the US and her allies technically won the war — their main goal, maintaining South Korean independence, was achieved — the long bloody stalemate has ensured that the war is remembered as a draw. Another, much more paradoxical, but, ironically, official point of view was that the war didn't technically happen at all. Because both halves of Korea consider themselves the only legitimate government, with their jurisdiction covering the entire peninsulanote , and the other contender as rebels and bandits. Thus, in their books, the whole war only counted as a police operation to bring the rebel provinces back, and Southern representatives weren't even present at the signing of the armistice.