This chapter examines the development of English education in South Korea during the period surrounding the Korean War and the early years of the Republic of Korea, focusing on how political instability and nation-building shaped educational priorities. Amid widespread social disruption, English education was repeatedly interrupted by war, displacement, and shortages of trained teachers and instructional materials. Nevertheless, English retained its perceived value as a key resource for international communication, military cooperation, and postwar reconstruction. The chapter highlights how English education during this period became increasingly institutionalized within the formal school system, while continuing to rely heavily on grammar-based instruction and examination-oriented practices. At the same time, strong societal demand for English proficiency persisted, reinforcing its association with social mobility and access to elite educational and occupational opportunities. The chapter argues that this period laid the structural foundations for later expansion of English education, while also entrenching tensions between communicative needs and form-focused pedagogy that would continue to shape English teaching in South Korea.