The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean forces attacked and overwhelmed the South Korean army. The United Nations, led by the United States, condemned North Korea’s action, and General Douglas MacArthur, U.S. commander in the Far East, initiated countermeasures. These were anchored around a brilliant landing by U.S. Marines at Inchon and by October 1950 had driven North Korean troops nearly back to the Yalu River, which marked the border with the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government threatened to intervene if UN forces reached the Yalu, and neither MacArthur nor President Harry S. Truman believed this would happen. But on October 19, 1950, Chinese troops crossed over in large numbers, and on January 4, 1951, they pushed forward to capture the South Korean capital of Seoul. Shortly afterward, however, UN resistance stiffened, and the North Korean and Chinese armies were pushed back. On March 14, 1951, Seoul was retaken.