The Korean War was primarily caused by the division of Korea into North and South following World War II, with each side supported by different superpowers. The communist North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea in 1950, seeking to reunify the country under communist rule. The United States and other Western powers intervened to support South Korea, fearing the spread of communism in Asia. Tensions between North and South Korea, along with Cold War rivalries between the US and the Soviet Union, ultimately led to the outbreak of the Korean War.
