경비대 활동 / 4천명의 폭도 심사 보고서

SOUTH KOREA From: 251200/I June 48 To : 021200/I July 48 Headquarters, USAFIK Seoul, Korea 02 July 1948 No. 145 A. ARMED FORCES 2. Operational Activity (Confidential) b. Constabulary Action On CHEJU-DO A summarization indicates that as a result of six weeks of operation the 9th Constabulary Regiment on CHEJU-DO apprehended and screened approximately 4,000 suspected raiders. Of this group about 500 were detained after interrogation by police, Constabulary and American interrogators. Twenty-[illegible] rioters were reported killed and about 50 rifles, carbines, swords and pistols were confiscated. Considerable quantities of supplies were found in the hills and either destroyed, converted to the use of Constabulary troops or returned to CHEJU economy. The weather conditions at this time are such that operations have been suspended, and the four constabulary battalions have been assigned company areas around the perimeter of the island with a patrolling mission. D. PSYCHOLOGICAL 1. Press Analysis (b) Chinese Press on South Korean Election: The unfavorable criticism of the 10 May election supplied by Communist media was equalled, or surpassed, by TA KUNG PAO (Great Impartial News), which is, according to the SEOUL TIMES, "one of CHINA's loading dailies, published in SHANGHAI and NANKING and known for its liberal editorial policy." The TAO KUNG PAO editorial appeared in the loftist CHOSUN CHOONG ANG ILBO (Korean Central Daily News) on 27 June and in the moderate, English-language SEOUL TIMES on 30 June. The latter publication printed an expurgated version. The following are extracts from the editorial as it was presented in the CHOONGANG ILBO: "The 10 May election in South KOREA was an outrageous one. Since the entire population of South KOREA was bitterly opposed to the separate election in South KOREA, full support was given to the coalitic conference of North and South Korean representatives.... The 10 May election was an uncontested one in which 908 rightist candidates ran for the 200 seats in the assembly. The election was dominated by RHEE Syng Man's pro-American followers and KIM Soung Soo's pro-Japanese party. RHEE consistently asserts: 'I represent the people; I am the State'.... A famous Korean in CHINA, Min Suk Rin declares that most of the members of the South Korean police force and most officials of the South Korean government collaborated with the Japanese... If the Japanese had not been withdrawn from KOREA, KOREA would again be in the process of colonization, jointly by the Japanese and the Americans.... (such has) been the MacARTHUR policy for governing JAPAN! America and Japan are one family'.... KIM Koo, KIM Kyu Sik and CHO So Ang, although they are conservatives, have striven ceaselessly for the recovery of their fatherland... They are anti-Japanese and highly nationalistic.... There was no free atmosphere in South KOREA during the election. Eight million people were herded to the polls like prisoners to a scaffold.... Only innocent children laughed... adults were near dispair and 10 May seemed to be a day of national mourning.... The people did not want their land divided (but) General HODGE proclaimed martial law and MPs were mobilized and machine guns were mounted. Police patrolled by day and night. Election officials carried clubs. The scene resembled those evident during time of war. Polling places were converted to battle areas. Riots occurred everywhere. Candidates were killed; polling booths were bombed; many persons were killed, wounded and imprisoned. The election was declared void in CHEJU-DO .... We are unable to find anything good in the election. We can only see that the UNITED STATES is encouraging the permanent division of KOREA and is proceeding with the establishment of a government favorable to it by carrying out this election, which will be followed by continuous tragic developments. It will also increase the difficulties of the Korean people and further endanger the stability of the Far East." COMMENT: Primarily, this editorial appears to portray CHINA's fear of a resurgent JAPAN, a movement which is being aided in KOREA by the predominant "pro-Japanese" and "pro-American" elements. The activities of both groups, it is asserted, are inimical to peace in the Far East.