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715 pages of United States Eighth Army propaganda leaflets, documentation, and a history of psychological warfare used during the Korean War.
U.S. ARMY DISTRIBUTED KOREAN WAR PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS
365 pages of leaflet images and 250 pages of documentation about the leaflets. These propaganda leaflets were created by the Psychological Warfare Section, Far East Command, Headquarters Eighth United States Army Korea (EUSAK), Military Intelligence Section. The documentation pages contain descriptions of the material on the leaflets and includes English translations of the Korean and Chinese text on the leaflets. The Army description sheets also contain remarks and information about the targets, content, and rationale behind the issuing of the leaflets. The sheets often mention the intelligence that was gathered, which influenced the content and targeting of the leaflet.
The leaflets had different proposes and targets. Those aimed at soldiers often encouraged surrender to avoid death from fighting UN forces. North Korean soldiers were promised that as POWs they would experience the replacement of the hardships of war, with food, medical treatment, warmth and safety. A common theme among the leaflets were "Safe Conduct" passes that guaranteed the bearer good treatment. These leaflets were intended to make North Korean fighters less fearful about their future after surrendering. Those aimed at civilians warned of the necessity to avoid battle lines. Others instructed conduct for refuges.
Many political leaflets displayed the Korean people and North Korean soldiers as pawns of Korean Communists, China, and the Soviet Union. Leaders such as Mao Zedong and Josef Stalin were portrayed as exploiting Korea for their own ends. North Korean leader Kim Il Sung was literally publicized as getting fat off the suffering of Korea.
REPORT ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE CONDUCTED BY THE EIGHTH ARMY UNITS IN KOREA, 25 JUNE 1950 THRU 27 JULY 1953.
This 105 page report was prepared in February 1954 by several branches of the G3 Psychological Warfare Division and by officers from the First Loudspeaker and Leaflet Company. The report provides a chronological history of the events related to psychological warfare operations during the Korean War. The narrative chapters tell of the logistics involved in the production and delivery of the leaflets. The report tells how interrogations of Korean POWs were used to gauge the effectiveness of the propaganda campaigns. The report covers the problems faced by the personnel producing the leaflets, such as the fact that most Northern soldiers were illiterate.
COMMUNIST LEAFLETS
In addition to the material described above, this collection contains six Communist English-language propaganda leaflets, that Northern forces distributed to U.S. and U.N. forces.
This leaflet was widely distributed over enemy territory on May 1, 1951. At the top panel of this leaflet we see a May Day parade in 1946. Happy and healthy Korean workers march past a skinny Kim Il Sung. At the bottom panel is May Day 1951. Here we see emaciated works marching past the North Korean leader who is now heavy. On the reverse written in Korean is the message, "North Korean fellow citizens, look at these pictures. The bald falsehood in Communist's promises has been brought to light just like this: There is neither freedom, equality, peace nor rest under the domination of Communist dictators. Workers and farmers are dropping day after day of hunger and poverty so a handful of communist bosses may live in luxury."
This leaflet plays on the theme that in the Korean War, Communist Chinese forces were exploiting Korea. In the illustration a North Korean soldier is in the foreground, in the background are two Chinese soldiers. One Chinese soldier says to the other, "Let him do the heavy fighting. When the Koreans are weakened we shall have the whole country."
The targets of this leaflet were North Korean People's Army guerrillas who were behind U.N. lines. The illustration shows two options, death in the hills, or good treatment from a Republic of Korea National police officer. The leaflet had a second purpose, to reiterate that ROK forces should not mistreat surrendering North Korean forces. In Korean the leaflet says, "To the Republic of Korea National Police: The Partisans with this leaflet desire to cease resistance. Give them humane treatment in accordance with the provisions of International Law," signed Lee Soon Yong, Minister of the ROK.
How propaganda leaflet airdrop packets were prepared. Report on the Psychological Warfare Conducted
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