Search | Wilson Center Digital Archive

Switch to Visualization

Prisoners of war Clear All

Related Resources

Pyongyang photographed in March 20212

East Asia

North Korea

Gyeongbokgung

East Asia

South Korea

Portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China, 1972.

East Asia

China

Soviet soldier taking a photograph of another soldier in Red Square, Moscow, 1959

Eastern Europe

Soviet Union

Photograph of 38th parallel crossing during Korean War

Korean War, 1950-1953

Aerial view of National Mall

North America

United States

Photograph of Korean War armistice signing

Korean War Armistice

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, 2012.

Southeast Asia

Vietnam

Dr. Syngman Rhee, 1939

Syngman Rhee Era

A photo of Joseph Stalin from 1943

Stalin, Joseph

1879 - 1953

A photo of Joseph Stalin from 1943

Stalin and the Cold War

Kim Il Sung, 1978

Kim, Il Sung

1912 - 1994

Photograph of a US POW during the Vietnam War.

Vietnam War

Portrait of Mao Zedong from propaganda poster

Mao, Zedong

1893 - 1976

Photograph of Zhou Enlai in 1972.

Zhou, Enlai

1898 - 1976

Dr. Syngman Rhee, 1939

Rhee, Syngman

1875 - 1965

Sino-Soviet Relations

Portrait of Peng Dehuai

Peng, Dehuai

1898 - 1974

Results:

51 - 60 of 113

Display:

Sort By:

Documents

January 25, 1957	CDS Report No. 33 from Choi Duk Shin to the President (Syngman Rhee) Choi Duk Shin reports on his visit to the Chinese Resettlement Center, plans to visit Caisan Refugee Resettlement Area, and recent Vietnam affairs.
July 11, 1948	Record of Conversation between Kim Gu and Liu Yuwan Kim Gu (Kim Koo) and the Chinese Nationalist Minister Liu Yuwan discuss Kim's participation in the South Korean government, his attendance at a conference in Pyongyang, and the possibility of a Russian-led attack on southern Korea.
June 3, 1953	Record of Molotov's Conversation with US Ambassador Bohlen A follow-up conversation after the one on the 28th of May. The two discuss the talks that were taking place in Panmunjom, and Bohlen mentions the American men with Soviet wives currently residing in the Soviet Union. Molotov is unaware of this situation.
March 25, 1953	Ciphered Telegram from Molotov with a Message to Kim Il Sung Telegram informing Kim Il Sung that the French government contacted the Soviet government and asked for help in facilitating the release of 14 French citizens (specified) from the DPRK authorities, and to give an exact idea of the fates of those citizens (specified) on which the French authorities have received no information since the beginning of the war in Korea.
March 14, 1953	Ciphered Telegram from Razuvaev to Kim Il Sung and Peng Dehuai Telegram from Razuvaev discussing POWs and what precedents established at the Geneva Conference must be met. Razuvaev also asks whether their side is ready for immediate repatriation of seriously ill and seriously wounded prisoners of UN troops.
August 3, 1953	Confidential Memorandum, Before Agreeing to the Armistice Agreement When the United States agreed to a truce talk to end the Korea War, President Syngman Rhee disapproved. He opposed the truce and tried to attack these peace proceedings through a serious of events- such as releasing thousands of prisoners of war and creating turmoil for the US government. In order to persuade Rhee to accept the armistice defense, the US dispatches Assistant Secretary of State Walter Robertson to meet with the South Korean president in a series of bargaining discussions. Eventually, under certain conditions and a mutual defense pact with the US, Rhee agrees to the armistice.
August 14, 1953	Memorandum, President Syngman Rhee to All Diplomatic Officials Following the ratification of the Armistice Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty, President Rhee conveys that he expects the Armistice to fail because the communists will “undoubtedly” violate it and undermine Korean independence. Rhee wants to renew war to secure victory but most importantly to strengthen the ROK-U.S alliance. Following the memorandum he makes twelve points ranging from topic like Korean rehabilitation to prisoners of war from the Korean War.
May 4, 1953	Letter, General Duk Shin Choi to General William K. Harrison, Jr. on Civilian Internees From April 20 to May 3 1953, Operation Little Switch allowed the exchange of the sick and wounded prisoners of wars between the United Nations, North Korea, and China. In this letter, Major General Choi informs General Harrison that the communist have failed to return hundreds of U.N. POWs because of their broad interpretation of the agreement. General Choi provides a series of steps to improve this agreement but most importantly he urges that the terms “civilian internees” and “displaced person” should be clarified in the Draft Armistice Agreement.
1953	Rules of Procedures Governing Explanations and Interviews by Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission In 1953 the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission was created in order to deal with the repatriation of thousands of prisoners of war. For those POWs who wished to not to repatriate, a series of explanations and interviews were held in order to allow them to choose their side in a neutral setting. This is a list of the general provisions of the commission which clarifies and explains who, how, and where these interviews would be held.
1954	Freedom to Non-Repatriated Prisoners of War This note warns that the communists will try to convince the world that these “freed” prisoners are not really freed and during this processing and resettlement period the world will be watching the Republic of Korea and the Republic of China's actions.