On 30 June 2025, UPF Czech Republic hosted a lecture at the Peace Embassy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.
The speaker was well-known journalist and commentator Alex Švamberk who has considerable knowledge about the Korean War and its aftermath.
Mr. Švamberk has the great advantage of first-hand information on the topic from the anecdotes and diaries of his father who was a member of The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC). This commission, which was responsible for monitoring compliance with the terms of the armistice, had representatives from Czechoslovakia and Poland (selected by DPRP-North Korea) and Sweden and Switzerland (selected by the UN).
Although the Koreas were happy that the Allied victory in World War II brought an end to the Japanese colonization of their country, the division of their country into North and South in 1945 already set the stage for the conflict between the two Koreas.
The background to the outbreak of hostilities in 1950 is complex and involved interests of the great powers; it is possible that had the U.S. acted more quickly, a confrontation could have been avoided.
The armistice agreement, which was finally reached on July 27, 1953, was two years in the making. Proceedings were complicated by the claims of North Korea that the South had been the aggressor and invader.
The lecture was well received by the audience and stimulated much lively discussion.