Even though there was active fighting for only three years, the Korean War was the longest war of the 20th century. It ran for 50 years during that century, and it continues today. When the shooting stopped in July 1953, it was an armistice. No peace treaty was signed. Shooting could resume at any time.
The Korean War was the first major conventional conflict since the end of World War II that featured significant land combat. In many ways, it concluded unfinished business from WWII.
