Atlas of Battles

battle, major, Cold War

Battle of Inchon

Battle of Inchon was a battle fought on 15 September 1950 at Incheon, in what is now South Korea; it lasted 4 days. It was part of the Korean War, which ran from 1950 to 1953. The recorded result: United Nations victory; Beginning of the North Korean withdrawal from South Korea; Start of the UN offensive into North Korea.

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Fought15 September 1950lasted 4 days
WhereIncheon, South Korea37.476N, 126.603E
OutcomeUnited Nations victory; Beginning of the North Korean withdrawal from South Korea; Start of the UN offensive into North Korea
BelligerentsFirst Republic of Korea; United Nations; United States; United Kingdom; Canada; Australia; New Zealand; French Fourth Republic; NetherlandsagainstNorth Korea
Part ofKorean War1950 to 1953

Where it sits in the Korean War

First Battle of Naktong Bulge, 1950Battle of Chonan, 1950Second Battle of Naktong Bulge, 1950Battle of Wawon, 1950Battle of Taegu, 1950Battle of the Bowling Alley, 1950Battle of Ka-san, 1950Battle of Tabu-dong, 1950Battle of Yongsan, 1950Battle of Uijeongbu, 1950bombing of Pyongyang, 1950Battle of Chochiwon, 1950Battle of Yongdong, 1950Battle of Sangju, 1950Battle of Nakdong River, 1950bombing of North Korea, 1950First Battle of Seoul, 1950Operation Pokpoong, 1950Battle of Chuncheon, 1950Battle of Kaesong–Munsan, 1950Battle of Ongjin, 1950Battle of Korea Strait, 1950Battle of Andong, 1950Battle of Chumonchin Chan, 1950Battle of Osan, 1950Battle of Pyongtaek, 1950Battle of Taejon, 1950Hadong Ambush, 1950Battle of the Notch, 1950Battle of Pusan Perimeter, 1950Battle of Pusan Perimeter logistics, 1950Battle of P'ohang-dong, 1950Battle of Masan, 1950Battle of Battle Mountain, 1950Battle of Cheonpyeong Valley, 1950Battle of Kyongju, 1950Battle of Nam River, 1950Battle of Haman, 1950Great Naktong Offensive, 1950Battle of Inchon, 1950UN offensive into North Korea, 1950Second Battle of Seoul, 1950Battle of Sariwon, 1950Battle of Pyongyang (1950), 1950Battle of Yongju, 1950Battle of Unsan, 1950Battle of Onjong, 1950Battle of Kujin, 1950Battle of Chongju, 1950Battle of Pakchon, 1950Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River, 1950Battle of Changjin Reservoir, 1950Third Battle of Seoul, 1950First and Second Battles of Wonju, 1950Battle of Hoengsong, 1951Battle of Uijeongbu, 1951Pohang Operation, 1951Battle of the Twin Tunnels, 1951Operation Roundup, 1951Battle of Chipyong-ni, 1951Blockade of Wonsan, 1951Operation Thunderbolt, 1951Operation Killer, 1951Operation Ripper, 1951Battle of Maehwa-san, 1951Operation Tomahawk, 1951Operation Rugged, 1951Battle of Kapyong, 1951Battle of the Imjin River, 1951Battle of Yultong, 1951Operation Dauntless, 1951Chinese Spring Offensive, 1951Battle of the Soyang River, 1951Battle of Bloody Ridge, 1951Battle of the Punchbowl, 1951Operation Minden, 1951Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, 1951Naval Battle of the Han River, 1951Battle of Hill 355, 1951First Battle of Maryang-san, 1951Battle of Haktang-ni, 1951Operation Polecharge, 1951Battle of Sunchon, 1951Battle of White Horse, 1952Attack on the Sui-ho Dam, 1952Battle of Hill Eerie, 1952Battle of Old Baldy, 1952Battle of Triangle Hill, 1952Second Battle of the Hook, 1952Battle of Chatkol, 1953Battle for Outpost Vegas, 1953Battle of the Hook, 1953Outpost Harry, 1953Battle of Pork Chop Hill, 1953Battle of Kumsong, 1953Battle of the Samichon River, 195319501953Battle of Inchon, 1950
98 placed engagements of the Korean War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date15 September 1950
to 19 September 1950
PlaceIncheon, South Korea
37.476N, 126.603E
KindBattle, Cold War
StrengthAbout 40,000 infantry; 4 cruisers; 7 destroyers; About 260 ships; of Joint Task Force 7: US (226 ships); South Korea (15 ships); UK (12 ships); Canada (3 ships); Australia (2 ships); New Zealand (2 ships); France (1 ship); Netherlands (1 ship)About 6,500 infantry; 19 aircraft; 1 fortress; 1 patrol boat; Unknown quantity of artillery
Casualties and losses224 killed; 809 wounded; 2 cruisers damaged; 3 destroyers damaged; 1 LST lost and 3 damaged; 1 aircraft destroyed1,350 killed; 1 fortress damaged; 1 patrol boat sunk; 1 aircraft destroyed
Commanders
  • Kim Il Sung
Battle of InchonBattle of InchonBattle of Chemulpo BaySiege of HaengjuGanghwa Island incidentOperation KillerThird Battle of SeoulBattle of Chemulpo BayGanghwa Island incidentDaejeonSuwonHaejuSokchoOngjinPyongsanCheongjuKaesong100 km37.476N, 126.603E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Inchon
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Inchon today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-09-10. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 12 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -10 to 151 m, 161 m of relief, hilly country and today it is 55% water, 34% built-up, 4% bare ground.

water: 55%built-up: 34%bare ground: 4%tree cover: 3%grassland: 3%water 55%built-up 34%bare ground 4%tree cover 3%grassland 3%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 75 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 102 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1950

Battle of Inchon is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 128 in present-day South Korea.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q483039, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Inchon, revision 1385757590, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.