The fact that the Korean War has so frequently been dubbed the "Forgotten War" indicates how difficult it may be to convince your students of its importance. But there are plenty of reasons to remember the forgotten war, and there are also plenty of reasons why it is still relevant today. 

Korea was the first real hot spot of the cold war, and ironically—as well as tragically—it remains a volatile part of the world today. Though U.S. relations with China and Russia have improved, you'll want to remind your students that American troops still patrol the DMZ, and that North Korea is perhaps America's most dangerous nuclear adversary. In many ways, it is as though the Korean War never ended, which means that there is a great deal of contemporary importance in sorting it out.