Question

The Korean War officially began in 1950 when
South Korea arrested and imprisoned thousands of communists.
North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea.
South Korea held free elections but North Korea did not.
North Korea sought the support of China and the Soviet Union.

Answer 1

The correct statement is: North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea.

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces launched a full-scale invasion across the 38th parallel. (The United Nations, led by the United States, then intervened; China later intervened on North Korea’s behalf, and the Soviet Union provided material and diplomatic support.) The other statements describe related facts or context (anti‑communist purges in the South, differing political systems and elections, and North Korea’s seeking support), but they are not the immediate event that officially began the war.