Still in service with both the Navy and Marine Corps during the Korean War, the aircraft again proved itself a capable platform in supporting ground troops and attacking targets as part of the interdiction campaign, though one pilot managed to down a MiG-15 jet in air-to-air combat. The Navy's only Korean war ace flew F4U-5N Corsair night fighters pilot, while another Corsair pilot, Lieutenant (junior grade) Thomas Hudner, received the Medal of Honor for landing under hostile fire in enemy terrain to attempt a valiant, but unsuccessful effort to rescue a fellow pilot who could not be extricated from his damaged cockpit following a forced landing. That pilot was Ensign Jesse Brown, the first African-American naval aviator to fly in combat.

All told, three manufacturers delivered 13 production versions of the aircraft during the period 1942-1952, the longest production of any World War II fighter. It was the longest production run of any propeller-driven fighter, with a total of 12,582 built.