Any war is a tragedy. People getting killed needlessly is a tragedy. A war that ends in a stalemate where no one really gained or lost anything (except lives) is a tragedy. The destruction of South Korea and North Korea is a tragedy. The war started on the 38th parallel, when North Korea invaded the South. After 3 years and over 2 million deaths, the front line ended up basically running along the 38th parallel as well. The war had swept as far south as Pusan (on the southern tip of Korea) to within 10 miles of the Yalu River (Border with China in the north) Much of the both South Korea and North Korea infrastructure was destroyed (rail, road, ports). Millions lost their homes.