Soviet Boycott Enables Korean Intervention

In 1950, when North Korean forces invaded South Korea, the United Nations Security Council met to decide how to respond. The Soviet Union, which held a permanent seat and veto power, could have blocked any resolution authorizing action in Korea, but its delegates were boycotting the UN over a dispute about China’s representation. Because the Soviets stayed away, the council passed resolutions calling for members to assist South Korea without facing a Soviet veto. That absence allowed a U.S.-led UN coalition to intervene in the Korean War under the UN flag.

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