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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1941　21 October 1950

Ref to TIS No 1940 and No 1942

NOTE: The following interrogations of eight North Korean draft dodgers were conducted at 8th Army Stockade. Subjects overpowered a NK police detail despatched at apprehend them and subsequently with their would-be captors, were brought to JAPAN on a US vessel which picked them up.

Interrogators: Capt Har and Lt UNDERWOOD.

Most statements in this report were made independently by a majority of the informants. Statements made by only one informant are identified by source.

Military information is second or third hand as the informants had carefully avoided area of such activity. The reliability of information cannot be judged.

On or about June 26, seven of the men had run away from their houses in two small boats with the intention of remaining at sea to avoid being drafted into the NKA. All seven men had relatives on SINMI-DO (39o34’N-124o54’E) as well as in their own home towns, so the boats put in secretly from time to time at one or another of these coastal points to replenish supplies. The other man, KIM Ik Pu, had been hiding from the authorities since early in the year and o/a June 15 set out to sea alone, wandered from island to island until he reached the vicinity of SINMI-DO on 15 Sep 50.

A patrol chanced upon KIM Ik Fu and arrested him for lack of proper credentials. It then continued on its original mission until it found the draft-dodger’s boats, arrested and tied up all seven occupants. While returning to SINMI-DO the policeman fell asleep. The eight prisoners loosed their bonds and overpowered their captors. They then set sail without compass, chart or even definite choice of destination, for South Korea.

After about 9 days without sighting land they sighted a U.S. freighter headed south, which thy hailed for help. They were then offered a chance to board the freighter if they didn’t mind going to JAPAN. They accepted and upon arrival in YOKOHAMA were taken into the custody of the 8th Army Provost Marshal pending return to KOREA.

The following are the main causes for the unpopularity of the Labor Party (LP) in North KOREA.

a. Korean feel that the aged should be honored, and that life should be made easy for them, but the police and LP force even old grandfathers and grandmothers to do hard manual labor.

b. When the LP first distributed land to the former landless they were happy in their new prosperity. They soon found, however, that LP members got the best land and that high taxes coupled with high prices and forced contributions to reduce their actual standard of living below the 1945 level, so that they are less well fed and clothed now than they were under the Japanese rule.

c. The departure of the hated Japanese police and arrival of new Korean police was at first taken as a great turn for the better, but gradually the new police grew harsher until now they exceed their japanese predecessors in dictatorial authority and cruelty.

d. Although on the surface governmental policy may be to treat all equally, actually in number minor ways, LP members always receive preferential treatment. For example:

(1) LP members are made overseers, not laborers, on forced work projects.

(2) Minor infractions of regulations result in beating for non-LP members, but only in a gentle rebuke or complete forgiveness for faithful LP members.

(3) Non-LP men are drafted before LP members.

e. Although the LP claims that RUSSIA is NK’s friend, rice is shipped on Russian freighters out of hungry NK

f, The Korean TAI KOOK flag (ROK flag) has come down through history as the flag of KOREA. As soon as the Russians and LP came into power this flag was outlawed, just as it had been under the Japanese, and the foreign Communist Star was put into use.

g. Words and music of the former Korean national anthem were outlawed, as they had been under the Japanese, and an unknown Communist song put into use.

h, Elimination of private business by confiscation and/or excessive taxes has made it impossible for many to earn a living. Moreover, the elimination of these enterprises leaves the state as the only purchasing agency for commodities which means that the producer (farmer or fisherman) can sell only at fixed prices which do not give him the margin of profit necessary for adequate living.

i. Travelers from the southern sector give glowing accounts of the comparative prosperity in the south which make the people realize that the Communist rulers are not doing as good a job as they should and that the LP claims of bad conditions in the ROK are false.

j. The mass drafting of men 18-55 is a major cause of discontent and of dislike for the Government and the LP.

a. In the early 1947 the People’s Party and the Communist Party (IN MIN DANG and CONG SANG DANG) combined to form the Labor Party (LP) (NO DONG DANG). Between 25% and 45% of the population are Labor Party members.

b. Two other parties are the Democratic Party (MIN JU DANG) and “Blue-Friend” Party (CHUNG U DANG) (IN: “Blue Friend” Party is the political party of the CHUN DO KYO - literally the “Heavenly-Road-Religion” - a native Korean religion founded about 70 years ago and unrelated to any established faith.)

The leadership and press of both these parties is controlled by the LP, nevertheless, the rank and file of both are firmly anti-Communist. In party meetings members are told that though Party leadership and press have been taken over by Communists the true aim of these parties is unification of KOREA and overthrow of the NK Communist Government and Party. The combined strength of these two parties is slightly less than that of the Labor Party. The large number of people without party affiliation are resignedly suffering under an unpopular oppression and distinctly do not like that present regime.

c. Military Police (HUN BYONG TAE): MP’s have authority to arrest and question anyone at any time on suspicion of disloyal activity.

d. Police Dept (NAI MU SUH): Armed with Jap “99” rifles. Police perform the normal police duties as well as helping in the collection of gain, taxes and contributions. Police co-operate with the military by warning of impending air or sea attacks. The police also:

(1) Issue fishermen’s passes (CHU PYUNG KI) which give the number of occupants in a boat and it’s home port.

(2) Select eligible draftees and enforces the draft.

(3) Enforce a 2200-0400 curfew. Police may issue curfew passes hand-written on plain paper.

(4) Check all ID cards every 3 months to see if anyone has entered or left the region.

(5) Draft workers and supervise work details.

e. Peace Preservation Unit (CHA WI TAE)

An auxiliary police force used for street patrols, grain collection, capturing fugitives and general maintenance of law and order. Members, all LP members, are armed with wooden staves tipped with 10“ to 15” metal spikes.

a. A CCF deserter said that 2 million (sic) CCF troops were in ANTUNG and 200,000 were moving into NK in early Sep 50. Due to a language barrier information obtained was slight and possibly garbed.

b. The presence of the following NK troops armed with small arms and IMGs were rumored in early Sep:

c. One man heard from his father of extensive digging on Hill 32 (PONG-HWANG-DU, 38’58-125’19) and hill 41 (OCHON - 800 yds SE of Hill 32). There was a long trench around the shoreward sides of the hills 6 to 9 ft deep by 6 ft wide, and length u/k) lead also heard of an unknown number of howitzers (caliber u/k) which were to be placed at foot of Hill 32 in early Sep 50.

d. All civilians were evacuated from ANSONG-NI (38’58-125’14), 10 Sep 50 to allow NK troops to move in. It was rumored that extensive defense positions were to be built there and down the coast to CHINNAMPO.

e. The presence of NK troops on ONJONG-NI (38’58-125’14) airfield was rumored. Troops were said to be manning coastal defenses in that immediate area.

f. Numerous anti-personnel land mines were buried in salt pans to guard approaches to ONGJONG-NI. Land mines were placed similarly around HWA-DO (38’48-125’08). It was said that a fox detonated one of these mines.

g. Artillery emplacements were said to be located on CHOAPTO Is. (Approx 38’52-128’07).

h. As of 1 Sep telephone connections were installed between PUK’CHOAP (39’05-125’16) and the mainland, reportedly to be used by coast artillery position on island.

i. As of early July, AA fire was observed originating from SAH-HAI-RI (38’40-125’10), coast artillery fire was observed on CHA-MAL-DO (NW of SOK-TO Is, 38’50-125’00), and no defense positions were seen on a visit to PIP’-A-GOT (38’35-124’55). (Observation: SOURCE: KIM Ik Pu)

j. Police on islands or isolated headlands use a crude light-code to warn telephone-equipped shore stations of impending attacks by air or sea. Acetylene lamps are used.

a. Labor Party (NO DONG DANG)

(1) HAN Chan Pak - Chief of Village LP

(2) SIN Su Whan - Cultural Officer of Village LP

(3) RI Wi Kon - LP Member NORTH PYONGYANG PROVINCE SONCHON KUN, UN JONG MYUN, MUN SA RI (SOURCE: LI Pyung Chil)

b. Democratic Party (MIN JU DANG)

(1) CHEH Yung Kon - Head of NK Dem Party (SOURCE: CHO Chung Yun)

(2) KIM Ki Tun - Former head, Dem Party in NORTH PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SANCHUN KUN, UN JONG MYON, MAJON NI (SOURCE: SAW Chun Son)

c. Blue-Friend Party (CHANG U DANG)

(1) CHO Chun Hyun - Chief of the village CHANG U DANG, NORTH PYONGYANG PROVINCE, KANG SAW KUN, SIN JUNG MYUN, HA CHUNG NI (SOURCE: CHO Chung Yun)

(2) CHEH Rin - NK Head of CHUNG U DANG (SOURCE: CHO Chung Yun)

For the Commanding Officer TIS: