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ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1697　9 October 1950

FIELD REPORT (ADV ECH ATIS - 0006)　7 October 1950

Middle school - 1 yr - Feb 1926. No settled occupation after graduating from school. Captured by US Force when separated from his unit to check his machine gun emplacements. Informant was cooperative but prejudiced. Believes N Koreans to be in the right.

PW volunteered in the army on 16 Jan 47 and was given the rank of Sr Lt in Jan 1947. He was assigned to 3rd Brigade as a leader of the cultural section. In the Brigade there were seven (7) battalions. This Brig was organized in Oct 46.

In Nov 47 he was made an instructor at Officer Training school. He chiefly taught history classes. In Aug 50 he was assigned to the 27th Brigade cultural section. There were about 6,000 men being taught daily at this school.

The 27th Inf Brigade was an independent unit organized in KUMCHON in Aug 50. This Brig had nine (9) Battalion on 1 Oct 50.

The 27th Independent Inf Brig was ordered to make a firm stand at PONGILCHON-NI line. This order was given by Supreme Commander KIM, Il Son from PYONGYANG Headquarters. However, on the very first day the Brig fought, the PW was captured. The 27th Independent Brig was a fresh unit but most of the men were recruits.

Subject’s cultural action setup include four (4) officers assigned to each battalion with one (1) officer attached to a company. Their mission was to bolster the morale of the troops and install in them a fighting spirit. Newspaper articles and speeches formed the bulk of the material presented to the troops.

The N Koreans have no paratroop units, no radar units. The 27th Inf Brig used telephones to communicate with rear echelons. No radios used.

PW estimated that about the 38th parallel in Northern Korea there still are about 15 Divs guarding important ports and installation. PW thinks there are about 3 divs just beyond the 38th parallel. He does not definitely know where the emplacements are, however, he thinks, they are in the same location as before the war. That is in HAEJO, KUMCHON, CHORWON and YANGGU. PW thinks these are all fresh troops organized after the war started, since the old troops are all below the 38th parallel.

KANG, Yong Kil - 27th Brig Commander (Col)

SHING, Li Pong- 27th Brig Asst Commander (Col)

CHONG, Pyo Lyong - 27th Brig Chief Staff (Lt Col)

KIM　Propagandist (Translator) (Speaks English)

PW heard form his friend (Maj KIM) who was stationed in PYONGYANG that a PW camp was located in the western sector of PYONGYANG town, about 1 km north of the West PYONGYANG RR sta. This PW Camp was formerly an elementary school.

Officer’s Training School is located about 2 km north of SADONG RR sta. Instructors were all North Korean Officers aided by Russian Officers.

Hearsay was that VASILIEV was a Maj Gen of a div in N KOREA. Whereabouts of same unknown during present conflict.

Guns and ammo are manufactured in PYONGYANG, the PW states, in HUNGNAM, there was an ammo plant, however, last report was that it, was demolished by air power while PW was still in PYONGYANG. He says, this plant cannot produce ammo anymore even though a portion of the bldg is left standing. He thinks that most of the weapons and ammo are stored in tunnels in the vicinity of PYONGYANG.

In PYONGYANG, plants such as the ammo plant, tobacco plant, spinning mill and flour mill hae all been destroyed. There were many other small factories which were hopelessly damaged.

There was an airfield about 800 m NE of the Officers Training School. This airfield is called “MEE LIM” airfield. It is located about 800 m SE from the MEE LIM RR sta and covers a ground area of about 800 m in width and 1 km in length. PW saw this airfield from the Officers Training School. Planes seen were mostly trainers.

Informant, when asked what happened to their air force, replied that the air force is waiting for an opportune moment to strike, that he has seen NK planes of unknown description over PYONGYANG in group of 10 or more.

PW believes that the S Korean units started the Civil War. He believes that the people in N KOREA are very bitter towards the Americans since they are the ones who are actually behind the bombing of the cities and towns resulting in heavy civilian casualties and destruction of industry.

For the Commanding-Officer: