Video: 'Korean War - PART 2, Prelude to war (1946-1947) 6.25' (Nov. 14, 1947, at 6:26)

(Friday, November 14, 1947) — The United Nations passed a resolution at Flushing Meadow today declaring that free elections should be held, foreign troops should be withdrawn and a UN commission for Korea, the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea (UNTCOK), should be created.

The Soviet Union boycotted the voting and did not consider the resolution to be binding, arguing that the UN could not guarantee fair elections.

In the absence of Soviet co-operation, it was decided to hold UN-supervised elections in the south only.

The U.S. had brought the problem before the United Nations in September 1947 after a joint United States-Soviet commission on Korean independence had failed to make progress.