UNITED NATIONS POW'S IN NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R016300150004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 13, 2006
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: January 30, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/12/13: CIA-RDP82-00457RO16300150004-5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 25X1
CLASSIFICATION SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO.
CD NO.
COUNTRY Korea DATE DISTR. 30 January 1953
SUBJECT United Nations POW's in North Korea NO. OF PAGES 3
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
PRPfl T Kit')
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, W I T H I N THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS -CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
_25X1
POW Cam Southwest of Yon bong-ni
I
1. On 13 September 1952 a POW camp, with 800 to 900 prisoner.s., was in a cave at
YD-342816, southwest of Yongbong-ni (125-1+5, 39-34) (YD-3683). The cave was
200 meters long, 3 meters high, and had a wooden floor. The camp was established
in August 1952 and the prisoners had all been captured after April 1952. The
prisoners came to the camp from the Kangdong POW Camp Number 8 at YD-57721+2,
north of Yongbong-dung (125-59, 39-02) (YD-5821+), They received special
attention and apparently were to be taken into the North Korean army if they
gave their consent. The guards called them "liberated soldiers." They wore
ragged North Korean army uniforms and received a daily ration of 1+00 grams of
rice, 400 grams of other grain, and some vegetables, soy bean paste., and soy
been oil. They were guarded by two North Korean army platoons divided into
two shifts,
2. On 13 September the headquarters of the North Korean bureau which supervised
all POW camps in North Korea was in semi.-underground houses 10 meters long, 3
meters wide, and 2 meters high, at YD-388246, on the northwest edge of Moranbong
in Kirim-ni (125-45, 39-02) (YD-3821+), near P'yongyange Prisoners were
brought to this headquarters immediately after capture and were sent to the
Kangdong POW Camp Number 8 after being interrogated.1 They were sent to various
other camps throughout North Korea from the Kangdong POW Camp Number 8.
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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SECRET
The 5 Independent Enclosure of the 8 POW Camp Near Taet?arryong-nit
3. On 13 September the 5 Independent Enclosure of the 8 POET Camp, with 1,000
South Korean prisoners, was in and around a former primary school about 300
meters west of the gate of Taet'aryong-ni (125-43, 39-02) (YD-3524). The
prisoners had been slated to serve in the North Korean army but were returned
to prisoner status after the peace talks began. They worked 4 hours a day and
had 3 hours a week of news comments and political indoctrination taken from
North Korean Labor Party publications. The truce talks were never mentioned.
Most of the prisoners did not accept Communism and many-planned to escape if
possible. They sometimes sang ROK songs while marching. A daily ration of
boo grams, including rice, kaoliang, and soy beans-, was issued. The prisoners
were undernourished and dietary deficiency diseases were prevalent. They wore
blue coveralls. POW was painted in red on the roof in Korean characters.
There were 60 guards with four light machine guns. At night the guards were
posted at 10 meter intervals.
POW Camp Near Maebong-dong
4. On 13 September a POW camp, with 1,500 ROK and 600 American risoners, was in
caves formerly occupied by the Unsan gold mine at YE-372324,1 east of Maebong-
dong (125-47, 40-01).(YE 3833). A daily ration of 700 grams of food, of which
70 percent was grain, was issued. Many were sick. The prisoners wore ragged
dirty North Korean army uniforms. The American prisoners were rarely seen.
The ROK prisoners made North Korean army uniforms with sewing machines and did
some machine work with lathes and other machines and tools. There were
compulsory, political indoctrination classes 3 hours a.week-plus periodic
debating and criticism sessions. Rallies denouncing the ROK and United States
government s were staged occasionally. There were 120 guards with four light
machine guns at the camp.
The Kangdong POW Camp Number 8
5. On 13 September the Kangdong POW Camp Number 8., with 2,000 ROK prisoners, was
in houses formerly occupied by employees of the Taesong coal mine at YD-577242,
north of Yongjong-dong (125-59, 39-02) (YD-5824),4 The prisoners were organi-
zed into four companies plus a transportation company. There were four plat-
oons in each company and four squads in each platoon. POW's were used for
squad leaders and assistant platoon leaders. A daily ration of 600 grams of
grain, of which 20 percent was rice, was issued. The prisoners wore tattered
blue coveralls. Medical facilities were poor. and the prisoners were unhealthy.
They did light labor around the camp for 3 or 4 hours -a day. Political indoc-
trination classes lasting 2 to 3 hours were held twice a. week and discussion
periods, during which the prisoners were allowed to criticize, were held
periodically. The truce talks were not mentioned. The prisoners showed
hostility toward the guards and other camp personnel.' Some had escaped,
usually during air raids. The head of the camp was a.major; the political,
management, and supply sections were headed by captains;'a medical section of
four was headed by a junior lieutenant. About 30 more. people were on the staff.
There were 150 guards under the direct command of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs. They had four light machine guns. The officers carried pistols, and
the enlisted men carried burp guns and Soviet rifles. POW was painted in white
on the roof of the building in Korean characters.
SECRET
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 Approved For Release 2006/12/13: CIA-RDP82-00457RO16300150004-5
SECRET
-3-
1.1 Comment. -According to from a different source, an inter-
on won camp was. at Yi3a4213
The Transfer of POW's to the Aoji Coal Mines
C-3 6. On 28 October 150 prisoners, including 18 white and 7 negro Americans arrived
at Hamhung (127-32, 39-54) (CV-7517) on foot. There the POW's were loaded into
'three army trucks and taken to the AoJi coal mines (130-21,, 42-31) (FC-1108).
They were wearing ROK or North Korean army unifotms, North Korean army shoes,
and each of them carried a blanket and a mess kit.
2. I iComment. It is not clear whether or not the 8 POW Camp and the
Kangdong POW Camp Number 8 are the same.
3.
25X1
Comment. The Unsan Gold Mine is at 125-44,'40-12 (YE-3353), accord&ngX1
to. L751 Sheet 6334 4. There is a gold mine at YE-372324 but it is not
named.
4. Comment. Be Ifor information on 26xi
other POW camps in this immediate area.
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