Peter and Dan travel to one of the most dangerous border regions in the world -- the Korean DMZ -- to examine two key battles in the first shooting conflict involving major Cold War powers.

In June 1950 soldiers of communist North Korea launched a sudden and unexpected invasion of the South. The North Koreans overran most of the country before the UN could intervene with the deployment of a multinational force led by the Americans.

To drive communist forces out of South Korea, UN forces executed a brilliant counterstroke beginning with the daring amphibious landing at Inchon on September 15, 1950. To appreciate the challenges of such an operation, Peter Snow goes to visit to detachment of British Royal Marines. Within days of the Inchon landing, UN forces had the North Koreans on the run, pushing them back over the frontier and deep into North Korea.

The People's Republic of China quickly decided that the advancing UN forces posed a threat and launched a massive counterblow. Now millions of Chinese soldiers entered the battle for control of Korea and the frontline swept southwards again. One key battle that stopped the communist advance took place in April 1951 on the banks of the Imjin River where a lone British brigade blunted the attack of an entire Chinese army. Peter and Dan spend a day at the the Royal Artillery's live fire range to get the feel of what it's like to be on the receiving end of a heavy gun barrage.