In order to siege the city, he gave units of the Korean People's Army an order to cross the Kum River to break through the defence line built along the riverside.

Amassed in the city were the U.S. 24th Infantry Division and the south Korean puppet forces.

The U.S. attempted to reinforce the defence of the city with its 1st Cavalry Division and the 25th Infantry Division landed on Phohang and Pusan.

One day in July Juche 39 (1950), Kim Il Sung convened an operational meeting at the Front Command and organized encirclement of the city.

The KPA units walked 40 kilometers overnight to completely siege the city, closing all roads to the city.

Early on the morning of July 20, they began offensive all at once under the aegis of artillery fire, fighting street battles to seize the city.

In the battles, the commander of the U.S. 24th Infantry Division was captured by a KPA soldier while making his escape in a soldier's uniform.

The operation gave a glimpse of the unique tactics employed by Kim Il Sung in the war.