The Korean War

The Korean War (1950-53) was an example of when the Cold War turned hot, with the US and its allies fighting against North Korea and China, who were supported by the USSR. At least 1.5 million Korean civilians, and around 33,000 US, 217,0000 South Korean, 406,000 North Korean and 600,000 Chinese troops are estimated to have died. A ceasefire was agreed on 27 July 1953, but as South Korea would not sign up, the two Koreas are technically still at war.
For an overview of the war, have a look at this BBC webpage. The BBC World Service has two fascinating podcasts about the war: The Korean War and The End of the Korean War.
There is a full length episode on the Korean War in the excellent Cold War documentary series which is worth watching:


Here is a link to a news report on the investigation into the American massacre of civilians at No Gun Ri and a BBC report on the same incident. While finally here are two videos by historian Bruce Cummings on the war: