On January 12, 1950, then-Secretary of State Dean Acheson made a tragic mistake: When publicly describing those areas of vital interest to the United States, he omitted the Republic of Korea (ROK), suggesting that it was not within the "defensive perimeter" for which the United States would fight.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center for Security Policy | Must History Repeat Itself? Congress Should Not Invite North Korean Aggression