The 1952 Sui-ho Dam air raids were the largest coordinated UN air assault of the Korean War, knocking out North Korean power for two weeks.
Key Facts
- Total sorties flown
- 1,514
- Facilities destroyed
- 90% of targeted hydroelectric facilities
- North Korean power outage
- 2 weeks
- Northeast China power reduction
- 23%
- Primary dates of attack
- June 23–24 and June 26–27, 1952
- Facilities targeted
- 13 hydroelectric generating facilities
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Truce negotiations at Panmunjeom had stalled, and UN Command sought to apply political pressure on North Korea by striking strategically vital infrastructure. The Sui-ho hydroelectric complex, which supplied power across North Korea and northeast China, was identified as a high-value target capable of inflicting significant economic and military disruption.
On June 23–24 and June 26–27, 1952, UN air forces flew 1,514 sorties against thirteen North Korean hydroelectric facilities, with the Sui-ho Dam as the primary target. Aircraft from the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and South African Air Force conducted coordinated joint strikes — the first such large-scale joint operation in 21 months — against targets defended by Soviet, Chinese, and North Korean air and anti-aircraft forces.
The raids destroyed 90% of the targeted facilities, cut all power in North Korea for two weeks, and reduced power to northeast China by 23%. North Korea could not restore pre-attack capacity until after the 1953 armistice. Politically, the campaign failed: public controversy in the UK and US Congress blunted its diplomatic impact, and the stalled truce talks were not materially advanced.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
4 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent