The leader of North Korea during the Korean War (1950-1953) was Kim Il-sung. As the founding leader of North Korea, he sought to unify the Korean Peninsula under his communist regime. The war began when North Korean forces, under Kim's orders, invaded South Korea in June 1950 in an attempt to spread communism and expand his control. His regime received military support from the Soviet Union and later from China. The conflict resulted in a stalemate and an armistice agreement in 1953, leaving Korea divided and solidifying Kim Il-sung's position as a prominent figure in communist politics.