Question

What was the UN effort in South Korea called, and why was the effort not called a "war"?

Answer 1

A Police Action

Explanation:

The Cold War was still new so there were fears that a minor war would expand into a major war between super powers. The excesses of WWII were still fresh. North Korea borders on both China and the Soviet Union. General McArthur was certainly positioning for a major attack into China. The politics and application of Nuclear weapons was still new. The term Police Action helped cool the situation in the minds of American people.