Key Facts
- Duration
- September 1–15, 1950 (15 days)
- Location
- Tabu-dong, Chilgok County, north of Taegu
- Part of
- Battle of Pusan Perimeter / Great Naktong Offensive
- UN forces involved
- US 1st Cavalry Division; ROK 1st Division
- KPA forces involved
- KPA 3rd Division
- Outcome
- UN victory; KPA offensive repelled
Strategic Narrative Overview
On September 1, the KPA 3rd Division launched the Great Naktong Offensive, attacking the US 1st Cavalry Division at the center and the ROK 1st Division at the northwest of the Pusan Perimeter. Over two weeks, KPA forces gradually pushed the 1st Cavalry Division back from its initial lines around Tabu-dong and nearby Waegwan, but were unable to achieve a decisive breakthrough or capture Taegu, as UN troops held firm under sustained pressure.
01 / The Origins
In the summer of 1950, North Korean People's Army forces had driven United Nations Command troops into a small defensive perimeter around Pusan in southeastern Korea. Taegu, a city just south of Tabu-dong, served as the UN headquarters and a critical logistical hub. Holding this position was essential to prevent a complete collapse of the UN defensive line and the loss of the Korean peninsula.
03 / The Outcome
The battle concluded on September 15, 1950, when UN amphibious landings at Inchon outflanked the entire KPA position on the peninsula. The following day, UN forces began breaking out of the Pusan Perimeter, compelling the KPA to abandon their assaults on Tabu-dong. The failed offensive left North Korean forces overextended and vulnerable to the broader UN counteroffensive that followed.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
2 belligerents
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.