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American Marines Capture Chinese Communists Along the Central Korean Front, March 2, 1951

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In a grassy hill area, two men are seen kneeling with their arms in the air. Three soldiers are seen on each side of them with guns. All men are dressed in cold weather gear.
Courtesy of National Archives, "Men of the 1st Marine Division capture Chinese Communists during fighting on the central Korean front. Hoengsong," 2 March 1951

Description

Prisoners of war were taken by both sides in the Korean War. The United Nations set up several prison camps, with Goeje-do being the largest one. About 170,000 people were committed to United Nations camps, and 7,614 people died in those camps. Sixty-five percent of those deaths were from infectious diseases. The United Nations committed to humane conditions in Prisoner of War (POW) camps, including safe and adequate supplies of food and water.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • About 170,000 people were committed to United Nations camps, and 7,614 people died in those camps. Sixty-five percent of those deaths were from infectious diseases. Why would infectious diseases have such an impact in the United Nations' POW camps?
  • In a war, both sides will have captured prisoners. Both North and South Korea were under the international law established in the terms of the 1949 Geneva Convention, which was designed to guarantee humane treatment of prisoners of war. Predict what might go wrong with this arrangement and the consequences that might have.

Citation Information 

"Men of the 1st Marine Division capture Chinese Communists during fighting on the central Korean front. Hoengsong," 2 March 1951. Courtesy of National Archives