Australia in the Korean War weeks later by the American forces who entered through Incheon. US Army Lieutenant General John R. Hodge formally accepted the surrender of Japanese forces south of the 38th Parallel on 9 September 1945 at the Government House in Seoul. Although both rival factions tried initially to diplomatically reunite the divided nation, it was the Northern faction that eventually decided to try and do so with military force. Troops from the Soviet backed North Korean Army crossed the 38th parallel on 25 June 1950 beginning a civil war. The invasion of South Korea came as a surprise to the United Nations.
Student soldiers in the Korean War who could prove they met the criteria were handed the award. In 1997, the government handed it out to a further 45 people who had failed to receive it before. On June 16, 2010, the movie "" was released, which depicted the death of 71 students during the Korean War, mainly in August 1950. "Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War" mentions the soldiers, although the main focus is on the personal story of two brothers, one in education when drafted. Student soldiers in the Korean War Student soldiers were individuals in Korea who volunteered or were forced to cease their studies