한국전쟁중 유엔군의 포로정책에 관한 연구

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper attempts to study UN forces' policies of communist prisoners of war during the Korean War. UN forces had a total of about 180,000 prisoners. Besides the captives, numbered 10 times more than UNC's expectation were big burden to UN Command in administering huge camps. Among them, lots of prisoners refuse to return to their original side. The issues of the non repatriated POWs caused the delay of the negotiation on ending the war and conflicts in the camps. Both UNC and the Communist addicted the number of POWs who would be exchange. They wanted to take priority at the psychological conflict as well as the field war during the cold war.

Past studies of prisoners in the Korean Conflict mainly focused on POW topics relating to armistice negotiation. The question of Communist prisoners hasn't attracted attentions relatively. Recognizing North Korean prisoners forgotten for the past as ones of same nation, I researched their problems objectively. It did not just trace the POW issue in the peace negotiations, my study is primarily concerned with problems of the treatment of POWs at the camps. It will be complement our history's blank part and serve to counteract some distortions.

This dissertation is focused on the settlement of non repatriated POWs from the beginning to the agreement of the armistice. In Chapter II describes the total number of POWs under UNC. Psychological war was brought about the surrender of nearly a third of the POWs. There are political differences among POWs including about 10,000 deserters who were main factors of the non repatriated. But, UNC didn't separate them from others POWs. UNC applied 1949 Geneva Convention as basic principle of treatment of POWs. They had intentions to utilized of POWs and moved some POWs to avowed anticommunists on pilot plant scale. And general conditions in the camps were reviewed of UN Personnel including Korean guards, equipments, managements.

Chapter III explains the treatments of POWs in the camps. Subject matters are discussed in order to assess camp life of POWs. In spite of some hardships in the battle and temporary camps. However, Communist claimed UNC's maltreatment, Good treatments in the permanent camps gave POWs opportunities to review Communism and effect POW's attitudes. UNC authority encouraged and helped POWs to attend the chaplain program which gave POWs ways of living of the free world.
There were 29,000 christians the camps.

Education or Indoctrination for POW commenced when Civil Information and Education(CI & E) was established in the UNC April 1951. About 70-80% of POWs participated in that education program. It held classes in political indoctrination to acquire victory behind barbed wire. The orientation classes played an important role in the political development of their compounds.

Chapter IV discusses US's standpoints of continuing to enforce the principle of voluntary repatriation, while the Communist attempts to secure agreement of general principle that all POWs should be repatriated to home for nearly two years. Besides humanitarian considerations, the major objective of American to insist on voluntary repatriation was inflict upon the communists a propaganda defeat. And they didn't want to send many POWs to Communist sides to enhance the strength of the Communist Army.

I reviewed the impartiality of screening and rescreening process. This operation was to determine how many POWs and Civil Internees wouldn't forcibly resist repatriation to North Korea and China control in event of an armistice. About one third of NK and two thirds of Chinese indicated they would forcefully resist being sent back to Communist control. Some choice being made in atmosphere of fear and uncertainty during the procedures.
The communist side protested compulsion during the procedure of inspection of POWs for repatriation.

Many incidents in camp is devoted to aspects of conflicts, the detaining authority(UNC) and POWs, left and right wing at the camps. It is usually asserted the communist ran the camps like a self-contained red fortress by displaying their capacities for brutality and violence. Many incidents such as riots in the camp conveyed an image of communist POWs as rebellious against UNC. But, in some instances, members of the security forces used excessive forces and resulted in many casualties.

The scatter operation is the reduction POW/Civilian Internees at UN POW camp No.1. As a result, it divided POW population of each Compound from 6,000 to 500. But, it entails many incidents after that operation.

Chapter V analyzes disposition of non repatriated POWs. Korean government released about 27,000 anticommunist POWs to press US to sign the mutual defense pact which would relieve the fears and anxieties of Korean peoples before the armistice. But, ill prepared attempts to release POWs before reaching agreement caused their losses and trouble. It was unreasonable after UNC and Communists agreed at the solution of no repatiates through Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. In this agreement, each POWs was guaranteed the right to elect his final disposition.

I studied the role of UNC Repatriation Explainer Group at the demilitarized zone. Most of POWs were still under the protection of UNC. Explanations had been conducted only for one ninth of the time and 85 percent of POWs didn't able to attend that operation. Only small proportions of the POWs exercised the freedom to express their mind.

In conclusion, UN forces' POW policy lacked systematic plan, provided many POWs with politcal refuge, But, it became a part of the ideological war to obtain even 1 POW more beyond just policy of captives management. This factors caused the delay of truce negotiation and many conflicts in prison camps.