A truce is signed to end the Korean War

In 1953, after 3 years of hard and bitter war, Lester Pearson, president of the UN General Assembly announced the good news from Korea - the signing of an armistice to end the Korean War.

Signing of armistice on July 27, 1953, brought end to active fighting

CBC Archives Posted: Jul 27, 2018 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 27, 2018

Members of the 2nd Battalion, R.C.H.A., in action in Korea, May 28, 1951 (Paul E. Tomelin/Canada. Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-128802 )

After three years of hard and bitter war, Lester Pearson, then the president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, announced the good news from Korea an armistice to end the fighting between the divided countries.

As we hear in the clip below, the armistice would be the first step towardpeace and a "free, democratic, and united Korea."

Archives3:59Lester Pearson speaks to the UN about the truce in Korea in 1953

UN General Assembly president Lester B. Pearson speaks to the member governments on the eve of a truce in Korea. Aired July 26, 1953 on a CBC Radio news special.

Pearson, also secretary of state for external affairs in Canada,expressed gratitude to all those who had "defended the principles of the United Nations,"in an effort to "save us from the destroying horror of another world war."

The truce led to the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, and it remains in place in 2018.

When North Korea invaded South Korea, Canada was one of 18 nations to volunteer troops.The first to be deployedwas the 2nd battalion,Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, who went into battle in February of 1951.

CBCTelevision's Newsmagazine brought Canadians a glimpse of the daily routine of thePatricias, "somewhere in Korea" in July 1953. In spite of these being "the final days of war,"the preparationfor action carriedon.

The Princess Patricia's, 'somewhere in Korea,' in July 1953

71 years ago

2:30

The Princess Patricia's continue to prepare for action during the final days of the war.

Canadian soldiers behind the DMZ tape in South Korea, Dec., 1953 (CBC Archives)

And as the signature on the truce did not lead to the immediate withdrawalof the UNtroops, Newsmagazine toldthe story of the men stationed "behind the white tape, beyond the lines of the demilitarized zone " in this Dec. 20, 1953 report.

Canadians in the Korean DMZ December, 1953

71 years ago

1:27

In spite of a signed truce, there is still a threat of fighting for UN troops in Korea in Dec. 1953.

In all, Canada sent more than 26,000 troops to aid in the war effort, continuing to serve there after the armistice until 1957, when the remaining 7,000 troops returned home. There were 516Canadian lives lost during the conflict.