ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1942 21 October 1950
Ref to TIS No 1941 and No 1940
Consolidated Interrogation Report of four (4) NK members of police, detail referred to in IR’s NOs 1931 and 1932.
Interrogators: Capt HAR and Lt UNDERWOOD
1. PERSONAL INFORMATION:| a. Name: | KAE Chun So |
| Address: | NORTH PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SONCHUN KUN, UN JONG MYUN, MUN SA RI |
| Age: | 37 |
| Education: | None |
| Occupation: | Farmer (Chief of district CHA WI TAE - Refer to Personalities) |
| Party Affiliation: | Labor Party (LP) |
| Assessment: | Informant was greatly agitated and frightened; anxious to praise US, but appeared insincere in even his mild objections to NK life. |
| b. Name: | PAK Peng Kap |
| Address: | NORTH PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SONCHUN KUN, UN JONG MYUN, MUN SA RI |
| Age: | 35 |
| Education: | None |
| Occupation: | Farmer (part-time fisherman) (CHA WI TAE) |
| Party Affiliation: | Labor Party |
| Assessment: | Informant appeared to have no strong political convictions. He seemed to genuinely dislike the LP, but to have thought it easier to be in than out of the party. |
| c. Name: | YIM Sung Tu |
| Address: | NORTH PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SONCHUN KUN, JUN JONG MYUN, MA DON NI |
| Age: | 48 |
| Education: | None |
| Occupation: | Fisherman (CHA WI TAE) |
| Party Affiliation: | Labor Party |
| Assessment: | Informant apparently had been quite enthusiastic in his LP actions until recently when he turned against the party after being arrested for helping some relatives evade the draft. Nevertheless, he then helped in the subsequent search and arrest which finally ended in the voyage to JAPAN. He appeared to hate the Party for causing his arrest and separation from home but not for its policies. |
| d. Name: | PAE Chun Kul (also referred to as PAE Ung Chu by fellow arrivals) |
| Address: | NORTH PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SONCHUN KUN, UN JONG MYUN, SIN MIL NI |
| Age: | 44 |
| Education: | None |
| Occupation: | Farmer, former fisherman (CHA WI TAE) |
| Party Affiliation: | Labor Party |
| Assessment: | Although informant had received land from the LP and was a member of the CHA WI TAE he seemed generally to dislike the LP and to hope for its fall for reasons as listed in Sec 2 below. |
Civilians attitudes in NK described by each of the individuals questioned were identical to those reported in TIS No 1932, a summation of which follows.
The Labor Party is generally unpopular because of its harsh treatment of the aged, the actual drop in living standards caused by high taxes and forced contributions to the government and general dislike of the NK police who are considered now worse than the Japanese. Latent nationalism has been violated by the outlawing of the Korean National anthem and the TAI KOOK (Korean’s national flag), and the force substitution of an alien banner and foreign song. Government control of the purchase of raw commodities and the sale of finished products at fixed prices coupled with the export to the USSR of rice needed at home are an additional source of discontent. Current drafting of men of all ages for combat is a major reason for low NK morale.
3. PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE:a. In early 1947 the People’s Party and the Communist Party (“IN MIN DANG” and “CONG SANG DANG”) combined to form the Labor Party (“NO DONG DANG”).
Meetings are held about twice a month; attendance is compulsory.
14 out of 46 houses in KAE Chun So’s (1a) district (MUN SA RI) were owned by LP members.
b. Peace Preservation Unit (CHA WI TAE): AN auxiliary police force made up of LP members used with, or in the absence of regular police for street patrols, grain collection, pursuit of fugitives and general maintenance of law, order and communist ways. Members are armed with wooden staves tipped with 10“ to 15” metal spikes.
4. MILITARY:Informant claimed no knowledge of a military nature due to their having led a secluded life on SIMMIDO Island.
5. PERSONALITIES:a. Labor Party (NO TONG DANG)
(1) YU Tal Su - Labor Party (LP) Village Head, SON CHON KUN, UN JONG MYUN, MUN SA RI (SOURCE: KEI Chun So)
b. Peace Preservation Unit
(1) KAE Chun S0 - (Chief of MUN SA RI CHA WI TAE)
(2) CHUN Pong Oh - (VIce-Chief of MUN SA RI CHA WI TAE)
(3) EE Chung Peh
(4) KIM Chang Ho
(5) CHEH Pong Ok
(6) KIm Chang Sun
(7) Kim Tang Nun
(8) KIM Chang Pom
(9) CHEH Kyung Chang
(10) AN Noon Su
(11) KIM Oi Hyun
(12) KAE Chung Wha - N PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SONCHUN KIM, UN JONG MYUN, MUN SA RI GROUP (SOURCE: KAE Chun So)
(13) PAI Ok Pin - Chief of NON KOL Unit
(14) PAK Pung Kap - N PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SONCHUN KIM, UN JONG MYUN,NON KOL UNIT (SOURCE: KAE Chun So)
(15) YIM Sung To - N PYONGYANG PROVINCE, SONCHUN KIM, UN JONG MYUN, MA DON NI Unit
(16) PAE Chun Kul (also referred to as PAE Ung Chu) - KO RA TI Unit (SOURCE: KAE Chun So).
For the Commanding Officer:
AURELL
