ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 658 21 Aug 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - FEAF LN TEAM 0120) 14 Aug 1950
| Name: | KIM PYONG HYON (金炳鉉) |
| Age: | 26 years old |
| Rank: | Private |
| Address: | PYON-AN-NAM-DO, YON-WAN-GUN, HONAN-MYONG, CHAIN-HAN-NI |
| Education: | None |
| Date of Capture: | 14 August 1950, at 1600 |
| Place of Capture: | CHOK-RA-SAN, near KUN-UI |
| Military Specialty: | Infantrymen |
| Interrogator: | S Sgt NAKAYAMA |
1st Division, 1st Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 6th Company, 4th, 1st Squad. Names of commanders unknown by PW.
Source was in Keijo when he volunteered for the North Korean Army. Had 5 or 6 days of training with wooden rifle. He was sent from places to place but did not have the opportunity to learn the names of villages. They were looked in homes where toilet facilities were indoors. They were entirely restricted in the buildings during the day and moved only at night.
At the time of PW’s entrance in the army morale was high because he was told that the North Korean Army was victorious. After several days when he discovered that food was not sufficient, poor clothing and no shelter, he began to wonder whether he did the right thing by volunteering. PW was informed of nothing outside or within his unit and it seemed as though he was the only living soul in the world. Did lots of walking without food, decent shelter, clothing and equipment until his morale really hit the bottom.
Conscription of North Koreans in occupied area and public of troop reaction.
The North Koreans are either conscripted or forced to volunteer. Most of the young men in North Korea of 16 years and over and called.
In PW’s case he was so depressed with the taxation of his rice crop by the North Korean government that he gave up forming and moved to Keijo, after hearing rumors that Keijo was prosperous. Thins didn’t turn out the way he expected and the only means he knew of supporting himself was to volunteer in the army.
Signed TARKENTON/WALKER
