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G-2 PERIODIC REPORT From: 150800/I Dec 48 To : 160800/I Dec 48 Confidential Headquarters, USAFIK Seoul, Korea 1000/I 16 December 1948 PART I SOUTH KOREA No. 1014 Historical MAPS: KOREA, 1/250,000 Eastern ASIA, 1/1,000,000 1. ARMED FORCES a. UNITED YOUNG MEN'S PARTY Members Join Police and Constabulary YOON Ik Hyun, General Affairs Section Chief of the UNITED YOUNG MEN'S PARTY reported recently that his organization had recruited 4,000 volunteers for service with the police throughout South KOREA. Approximately 300 of the group are presently in training at the Police Academy in SEOUL. It is planned to intensify recruiting efforts on behalf of the Constabulary with a target of 5,000 to 6,000. (B-3) COMMENT: This is the second youth organization which has reported tangible success in securing personnel from its membership lists to augment security forces. The first organization reported to be cooperating was the NORTH WEST YOUNG MEN'S ASSOCIATION (page 1, P/R 1011). The NEAKI YOUTH CORPS has been invited to join in the program, and it is expected to cooperate. b. Crewman of Coast Guard Cutter TONG CHUN HO Explains Loss of Vessel Interrogation of a crewman of the TONG CHUN HO, Korean Coast Guard vessel which was captured and taken to North KOREA by a mutinous crew on 7 May (P/R 4829), indicated the ship was the victim of a combination of a communist plot and lack of security consciousness on the part of ship's complement. The former crew member, one of two who escaped south across the 38th parallel on 19 November, attributes loss of the vessel to a mutiny staged by 2 communist members of the crew aided by 2 passengers, one of whom had been smuggled aboard and the other who had been accepted in good faith by the captain. The master and his assistant were shot by the mutineers, and the remaining loyal crewmen were forced at gunpoint to sail to SOKOHO (1150-1720). The prisoners were subjected to torture, interrogation and imprisonment before they were given a brief communistic indoctrination and released for work in the KALMA (1040-1840) railroad repair shop. The escape was effected from there. (B-2) COMMENT: This Coast Guard mutiny was the first major overt operation of communist elements within the Korean security forces. It was after this mutiny that screening of members of both the Coast Guard and Constabulary was begun with the objective of eliminating dissidents. The screening was not carried out with effective speed, however, as evidenced by the loss of a second Coast Guard vessel to North KOREA on 14 June (see P/R #860), and the Constabulary mutiny at YOSU. Subsequent to the YOSU incident a more concerted and thorough screening program was initiated. Confidential -1- DECLASSIFIED Authority [illegible] XXIV CORPS G-2 F/R 41014 2. CURRENT INTELLIGENCE Confidential a. Political Activities (1) KOREAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY Members Join SOCIALIST PARTY At least 47 members of the KOREAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY are known to have seceded to join the new SOCIALIST PARTY organized by CHO So Ang (F/R #1013). An additional 90 branch officials of the KIP are also reported to have switched allegiance to the new party. (B-2) COMMENT: Though many of the seceders were members of the KIP Standing and Executive Committees, none of them, with the exception of CHO, were top-level officials of KIP. Eleven of the ex-KIP men, including CHO, attended the North-South Political Leaders Conference at PYONGYANG last April. (2) Greek Orthodox Priest Arrested by SEOUL Police At 121100 December, a disturbance occurred in the Greek Orthodox Church in SEOUL when members of the congregation attempted to evict Primate POLICARP, the priest of the church. It was reported that POLICARP was manhandled to some degree and that he tore up an order which a Korean was reading. (B-2) At 131100 December Primate POLICARP, priest of the SEOUL Greek Orthodox Church, was arrested by Korean police on a charge of destroying an eviction order. As of 16 December POLICARP was still in the hands of the police. (Police Report) COMMENT: POLICARP is commonly considered to be a communist. For several months, attempts have been made by Korean and stateless Russian members of the congregation, together with one or two American DAC Greek Orthodox believers, to oust POLICARP from the church. A short time ago a Korean deacon of the SEOUL church, KIM Yei Han, was ordained a priest by Archbishop BENJAMIN in TOKYO and authorized by the Archbishop to take over the church and property. SOVIET liaison officers in SEOUL requested that an American officer accompany them to the church on 13 December to investigate the disturbance on 12 December. The SOVIETS were notified that no information had been received to indicate that the disturbance was a matter pertaining to the U.S. Army. b. Civil Unrest (1) Raider Activity in CHOLLA-NAMDO On 10 December the police captured 3 mutineers from the 14th Constabular Regiment in KOHEUG Gun (1030-1580). According to one of the prisoners there are still approximately 320 Constabulary mutineers, organized into 4 companies, in the POSONG (1000-1300)-POLGYO-RI (1030-1310) area. (Police Report) On 11 December approximately 100 Constabulary mutineers entered the village of PUAN-RI, NAMWON Gun (1050-1370) and demanded food. After eating, the mutineers confiscated 6 bags of rice and escaped toward CHIRI SAN (1070-1370). Again on 12 December 50 mutineers entered PUAN-RI, demanded food (F/R #1008) and escaped toward CHIRI SAN with a small quantity of rice and potatoes. Neither Constabulary nor police units were able to make contact with the raiders. (Police Report) DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 726070 Confidential -2- XXIV CORPS G-2 F/R #1014 Confidential COMMENT: The Constabulary Headquarters, SEOUL, is unable to report the number of mutineers from the ex-14th and ex-4th Regiments (page 5, W/S #162 and page 8, W/S #164) still at large. However, it is believed that the majority of the raiders in CHOLLA-NAMDO are civilians who augmented the original YOSU-SUNCHON mutineers. (2) Civilians Assist Constabulary on CHEJU-DO On 14 December the Constabulary on CHEJU-DO were supported by 3,000 civilians during four joint operations in a concerted effort to eliminate raiders near MOSULPO (950-1110), SOGWI PO (950-1110), HAMMON NI (970- 1120) and HALLA SAE (950-1130). These four operations resulted in 105 raiders killed, 10 Japanese "99" rifles captured and foodstuffs confiscated. Constabulary and civilian casualties are not known. (Constabulary Report) COMMENT: The civilians on CHEJU DO are continuing to assist the authorities in ever increasing numbers by combing the hills for guerrillas, probably to retaliate for indiscriminate guerrilla activity against their villages (see page 9, W/S #166). (3) Rightist Leader Killed in KYONGSAN-BUKTO On 07 December KIM Kyu Han, chief of the DO CHANG DONG (1192- 1544) branch of the NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE ACCELERATION OF KOREAN INDEPENDENCE, was shot and killed by 2 unknown assailants. (Police Report) (4) Incidents Occurring in Connection with ECA Administrator's Welcome At 141830 December an attempt was made to burn the arch erected in SEOUL to honor, and to express a welcome to, Mr. HOFFMAN, ECA Administrator, upon his entry into KOREA. To prevent similar or more serious incidents during Mr. HOFFMAN's stay in KOREA, the Chief of the Metropolitan Police issued orders for all police to be especially alert. (Police Report) (5) Recapitulation of Results of Constabulary Action in KANGWON-DO The following are the results of Constabulary action in KANGWON-DO for the period 25 November to 03 December. Raiders Killed 19 Constabulary Killed 3 Raiders Captured 24 Of the 24 raiders captured 2 were later killed and 1 escaped. Seventeen of the prisoners are in SEOUL, 1 was hospitalized and 3 are still being interrogated in KANGWON-DO. Constabulary operations also resulted in the capture of 1 LMG, 16 rifles, 5 hand grenades and 70,000 won. (Constabulary Report) 3. PSYCHOLOGICAL a. Translation of SEOUL Newspapers (see Incl #1) Confidential -3- DECLASSIFIED Authority NND [illegible] 316 제주4·3사건 추가진상조사자료집 7 XXIV CORPS G-2 P/R #1014 Confidential b. Conjecture on Political Integration The CHOSUN ILBO is displaying considerable interest in the future attitudes of the two KIMs (KIM Koo and KIM Kyu Sik) toward the Korean government and the United Nations Commission which is due to reconvene in Korea next month. The editor wonders, in view of United Nations recognition of the Government, "whether the two KIMs will not change their views and conduct their activities according to the world's political trend, or, whether or not the government is broad minded enough to cooperate with the two KIMs." It appears that the government is at least interested in a cooperative effort. The DONG A ILBO, 14 December, published a statement by President RHEE in which he said: "Some political parties, social organizations and private persons, thinking that they could accomplish unification by some other means, upheld some political principles different from us during the past three years because our prospect was then dark. We wish that those who belong to the middle-of-the-road and some right wing camps would abandon their old ideas and join us to support this new-born democratic government and cooperate with us so that the whole nation may be unified in its ideas and actions." The KOOK CHEI SHIN MUN states that Independents and DAI DONG YOUTH CORPS members of the National Assembly are busy circulating a petition for an emergency motion to be submitted to the government requesting early unification of the Big Three, RHEE Syng Man, KIM Koo and KIM Kyu Sik. COMMENT: Political "Unification" seems to be the watch-word. 4. SABOTAGE AND ESPIONAGE Negative 5. WAR POTENTIAL Negative PART II NORTH KOREA 1. ARMED FORCES a. Soviet Forces (Confidential) At 1610 hours 14 December 1948 the following letter was delivered to USAFIK Headquarters by the Soviet Liaison Officer in Seoul, Korea: HEADQUARTERS Soviet Forces in North Korea Pyongyang, Korea 14 December 1948 Major General John B. Coulter Commanding General United States Army Forces in Korea Seoul, Korea Dear General Coulter: In conformity with the decision of the Soviet government, the evacuation of the Soviet Forces from North Korea will be completed by the end of December 1948, of which the Soviet Government informed the United States Government in a note dated 18 September 1948. Copy submitted -4- DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 74507[illegible]