Key Facts
- Dates
- September 1–5, 1950
- Duration
- 5 days
- KPA divisions destroyed
- 2 (9th and 4th Divisions)
- Key US unit deployed
- 1st Provisional Marine Brigade
- Part of
- Battle of Pusan Perimeter
Strategic Narrative Overview
KPA forces captured Yongsan after the 2nd Infantry Division was divided by the Naktong Bulge penetrations. Lieutenant General Walton Walker responded by committing the US Marine Corps 1st Provisional Marine Brigade to counterattack alongside Army units. Over three days of intense combat, US Army and Marine forces engaged the KPA in and around the town, steadily pushing the attackers back and preventing further exploitation of the breach.
01 / The Origins
In early September 1950, North Korean People's Army (KPA) forces exploited a breakthrough achieved during the Second Battle of Naktong Bulge, splitting the US 2nd Infantry Division along the Naktong River. The KPA 9th and 4th Divisions advanced on Yongsan, a village that served as a gateway to UN supply and reinforcement routes for the Pusan Perimeter, threatening to collapse the UN defensive line in South Korea.
03 / The Outcome
By September 5, 1950, UN forces had retaken Yongsan and effectively destroyed the two KPA divisions that had carried out the assault. The victory stabilized this sector of the Pusan Perimeter and contributed directly to the broader UN success at the Naktong Bulge. Control of the key supply corridor was restored, bolstering the UN position ahead of the Inchon landing later that month.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Walton Walker.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.