Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 159: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
C–60193. For info, CINCUNC Adv HNC 657.
[Page 1454]“Further to HNC 656 and CINCFE C 60182.1 The following letter was received at Pan Mun Jom at 1300 today: 26 December 1951, Rear Admiral Libby, Senior Delegate, Agenda Item 4 sub-delegation, UN Delegation.
“1. It was impossible for our side to make a final investigation of the prisoner of war list which your side handed to us December 18, 1951 since the list does not contain information necessary for identification, such as rank and unit of the individual prisoners. Therefore, our side retains the right to raise problems other than those listed below.
“a. The number of names actually listed in the roster which your side handed to us December 18, 1951 is 1,456 less than the number which your side said. You stated that the 1,456 prisoners were certainly held in prisoners camps on your side. We urge you to give us a list of these 1,456 prisoners as promptly as possible.
“b. Our reinvestigation of the prisoners of war list which your side handed to us through the International Committee of the Red Cross revealed that the list your side gave us December 18, 1951 was short of 44,205 names. A detailed list is an enclosure number 1.2 Where are these, and what is the fate of each of them? This is one very serious question. We request sufficient and satisfactory explanation.
“2. In your letter dated December 21, 1951 you estimated the size of the South Korean prisoners now held by our side based on the number of missing in action of the South Korean Army which was announced by Syngman Rhee’s Government. Such an argument is completely untenable. In no war is there any determined correlation between the numbers of missing in action and prisoners of war. Neither side of the belligerents is justified in requesting the other for a certain number of prisoners based on the number of missing in action. Our side firmly rejects consideration of such an untenable problem raised by your side.
“3. Your side asked us in the letter dated December 21, 1951 and also in the supplementary list of December 22 about the whereabouts of a part of the prisoners who are not of Korean nationality. Our investigations revealed that 726 of the prisoners of war were either killed by air attacks and artillery fire during escort from the front to the camps or escaped or were already released by our side, or died of diseases. A detailed list is an enclosure nbr. 2.2 Continuous investigation on the remaining 332 is underway. In order to facilitate our investigation, you are urged to give us, as soon as possible, the source of the names of the individual prisoners. /S/Lee Sang Jo/T/Lee, [Page 1455] Sang Jo, Senior Delegate, Agenda Item 4 sub-delegation, delegation of the Korean People’s Army, and Chinese Peoples Volunteers.”