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The long road
to peace

The record of the Korean truce negotiations

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1951

June 23—Jacob Malik, Soviet
delegate to the United Nations,
announces in a radio talk that
the Soviet Union believes the
Korean conflict can be settled.
He proposes that “discussions
be started between the belliger-
ents for a cease-fire” on ‘the
basis of withdrawal of both
sides from the 38th parallel.
The North Koreans and Chin-
ese propose truce negotiations,
with worldwide support from
peace forces. U:S. government
agrees, but issues “warnings”
about what may happen. “~

July 10—Truce talks begin at
Kaesong. U.S. wants question
of prisoners of war first item
on agenda after adoption of
agenda . itself. Koreans and
Chinese say it should come in
proper place. U.S. finally agrees.

July 12—Admiral C. Turner
Joy, chief U.S. negotiator, breaks
off talks because newsmen not
admitted to Kaesong. Also adds
demand for ban on armed per-
sonnel in five mile radius around
truce site. \

July 15—Korean-Chinese dele-
gates announce their assent to
immediate admission of news
men, agree to the neutralization
of the truce site.

July 19 — Talks deadlocked
over inclusion on agenda of ques-
tion of withdrawal of foreign
troops. 3s

July 25—North Koreans agree
to defer question of troops until
after the ‘truce conferences.

July 26—An agenda is agreed
upon.

July 29—Discussion on mili-
tary line of demarcation for the
truce begins. U.S. Secretary of
State Dean Acheson had said
many times that the U.S. would
agree to the 38th parallel. Joy
now demands the line be the ac-
tual battleline, in some places
north of the 38th parallel.

August 4 — Joy proposes. a
truce line that would require
North Koreans to withdraw from
their battleline. A small body -
of Chinese troops carries weap-
ons inside the neutral zone, and
the U.S. breaks off talks. :

August 22—Koreans and Chin-
ese. charge a U.S. bombing and
strafing of neutral zone almost
wipes out their delegation. :

September 15—North Koreans
charge that U.S. planes violate
the truce zone 139 times in the
first eight days of September.
U.S. charges that Koreans are
able to “manufacture” incidents
in the city of Kaesong and pro-
pose that the talks be moved. A
bloody U.S. offensive fails to gain
ground.

October 10— Twenty Chinese
prisoners of war killed and-
wounded by guards as a result,
prisoners charged, of an effort to
force them to raise Chiang Kai-
shek’s Kuomintang flag.

October 22 — After weeks of
meetings between liaison officers,
the Chinese and Koreans accede
to the U.S. demand, and the truce
talk site is moved to Panmunjom.

October 25—Talks resume. :

November 27 —Cease-fire line
of demarcation agreed upon, at
the battleline instead of the 38th
parallel, as originally proposed
by both Acheson and the Kor-
eans. If the truce is not signed

within 30 days, the line is to be
re-surveyed at the time of sign-
ing, on the principle of the then
existing. battleline. Battleline
proposal originates with Koreans
and Chinese.

November 29—Fighting stops,
although Truman and the mili-
tary staff later say that no “‘cease-
fire’ order was issue. Public
pressure mounts for speedup in
talks. Widespread belief “mili-
tary solution” impossible.

December 18—Lists of prison-
ers exchanged. Koreans and
Chinese list all non-Korean. pris-
oners in English with rank and
serial number. South Korean
prisoners in Korean characters.
Admiral Libby, U.S. delegate,
turns over 132,000 names of Chin-
ese and North Koreans in Eng-
lish. No other details. Chinese,
Koreans protest vigorously that
list is useless.

December 25—Two days before
expiration of truce line agree-
ment, Libby presents new list,
also branded as worthless by Ko-
rean and Chinese because of poor
translation, missing data. Hope
for peace by December 27 van-

ishes.
1952

January 15 — Soviet Foreign
Minister Andrei Vishinsky pro-
poses to the United Nations Gen-
eral Assembly meeting in Paris
that there be an immediate arm-
istice in Korea, withdrawal of all
foreign troops within 90 days,
with the issues of the war to be
settled by high level Security
Council negotiations.

January 28—Libby finally turns
over 132,000 names with proper
symbols, 41 days after receiving
lists of prisoners held in North
Korea. Koreans and Chinese
claim 44,000 names still missing.

February 6 — Top negotiators
resume sessions. Sub-committees
have been discussing prisoner of
war exchange, supervisory teams,
airfield buildup and troop rota-
tion since November.

February 19 — Agreement
reached that a top-level : diplo-
matic conference will meet 90
days after the truce to settle the
peace issues. Koreans, Chinese
protest brutal shooting of prison-
ers in U.S. camps.

March 30—Agreement is reach-
ed on troop rotation. Each side
may rotate up to 35,000 a month,
during armistice. Progress, seem-
ingly, is being made at a rapid
rate.

April 4 — U.S. command an-
nounces it has “screened” North
Korean and Chinese prisoners of
war, and claims that only 83,000
of 170,000 wish to go home. The
principle of so-called “voluntary
repatriation” was on the table.
It was to become a major stumbl-
ing block.

May 2—All issues settled ex-
cept prisoners of war. Nam IL
declares internationally agreed
principles of return of all pris-
oners of war must be kept. Talks
still in secret session.

May 6—Joy demands indefinite
recess until Korean-Chinese side
accepts U.S. ultimatum providing
for return of only 70,000 Korean,
and Chinese prisoners.

May 7 — Truman, Ridgway,
Acheson, Van Fleet, British and
Canadian Foreign Ministers an-
nounce support “‘to the end” of
Joy ultimatum. At this point 63
of 64 paragraphs on armistice
pact have been initialed.

May 7 — Brigadier General
Francis Dodd seized by Korean
prisoners on Koje island in pro-
test against forcible “screening”
on question of repatriation.

May 10—Dodd released after
U.S. had signed an agreement
with the prisoners admitting that
there had been brutalities and
forcible “screening.” Prisoners
assured that thereafter they “can
expect humane treatment in this
camp according to the principles
of international law.”

June 7—UN negotiators start
a series of “walk-outs” in the
truce sessions discussing prison-
er exchange.

June 10—Massaére on Koje [s-
land as General “Bull” Boatner
transfers prisoners to small com-
pounds. Forty-one prisoners are
killed and 279 wounded. Dodd
release agreement broken.

June 24 — U.S. planes bomb
power plants on the Yalu river.
U.S. allies protest bitterly that
this endangers the fruce and de-
clare they had not approved the
action.

July 4-25—Secret talks, which

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end in deadlock on prisoner ex-
change.

August 15—North Korean Pre-
mier Kim Il Sung says in radio
broadcast that the war should
be .ended with “no winners and
no losers.”

October 1—Massacre of Chin-
ese prisoners who were celebrat-
ing China’s Liberation Day, on
Cheju Island, with 56 killed and
120 wounded. North Korean and
Chinese “negotiators continue to
press for a truce settlement.

October 3—Negotiations brok-
en off by the U.S... Later it is
learned that the Korean-Chinese
had made fundamental conces-
sions on the prisoner issue. The
U.S. did not discuss the proposal

before breaking off negotiations. .

October 11 — Korean protest
ending of negotiations, and pro-
pose that an armistice be signed
immediately, leaving the prison-
er issue for future negotiations.

October 14 — United Nations
General Assembly begins debate
on Korea truce.

October 30 — Soviet Foreign
Minister Vishinsky proposes est-
ablishment of a UN Commission
for peaceful settlement of the
war, which would include the
Soviet Union as a member, and
which would repatriate prison-
ers according to the Geneva con-
vention. _

November 18 — India places
plan _before UN for settlement
of prisoner of war issue through
a five-member repatriation com-
mission.

December 1 — Vishinsky tells
main political committee of UN:
“T£ you want to open the door of
peace, why not open it with a
recommendation that hostilities
in Korea be halted?” Criticizes
India proposal because it con-
tains no cease-fire provision.

December 4—UN endorses In-

dia plan. :
1953

March 28 — Chinese Foreign
Minister Chou En-lai announces
that Koreans and Chinese are
willing to exchange sick and
wounded prisoners. He proposes
resumption of talks and that
prisoners not wanting to go home
be handed to a neutral commis-
sion,

April 1—USSR Foreign Min-
ister V. M. Molotov supports the
Chinese proposal. ‘

April 11 — Agreement signed
for exchange of sick and.
wounded.

April 20—Exchange begins.

April 26 — Truce negotiations
resumed.

May 7—Koreans and Chinese
propose detailed eight-point set-
tlement of prisoner issue. Prison-
ers who allegedly do not want

to return home would be kept
in Korea under custody of five
neutral nations where questions
of repatriation could be explain-
ed: to them in an atmosphere
free from threats, coercion and
torture. Any prisoners still not
wanting to return would have
their fate referred to the post
armistice political conference.

May 13—U.S. makes 26-point
counter-proposal, insisting that
all Koreans be freed immediate-
ly after a truce; and only the
Chinese be held by neutral na-
tions.

May 15—Nehru supports Chin-
ese-Korean plan.

May 25 — US. proposes new
secret plan. Talks recessed t0
June 1, ;

May 28—South Koreans de-
nounce U.S. plan.

June 4—Koreans reply to May
25 plan. :

June 8—Agreement on prison-
ers is finally signed. It provides
that prisoners who want to 9°
home will do so within 60 days-

‘A five-nation neutral commission

will take charge of the others,
who will be able to talk to reP-
resentatives of their nations-
Those who finally decide not t0
go home will be allowed to go to
a neutral nation to live, but may
thereafter return home if they.
wish to.

June 9 — Staff officers start
drafting the final cease-fire line.

June 13— President Syngman
Rhee of South Korea unilateral
“releases” 27,000 prisoners in his
custody in effort to disrupt truce
agreement. .

June 29—General Mark Clark
proposes that the truce be sign-
ed without the South Koreans.

July 7—North Koreans droP
their demand that the relea
Prisoners be returned and agree —
to sign, accepting Clark’s assuU!
ances that he will do everything
in his power fo prevent Rhee
from sabotaging an armistice.

July 12—Rhee and U.S. Special
Emissary Walter Robertson a
nounce agreement on truce a!
rangements.

July 183—Rhee qualifies this.

July 19 — Korean, Chinesé
pgain pave way for truce bY
accepting at face value U.S. 45
surances Rhee will abide by art
istice terms.

July 23—Rhee continues to e”
danger truce with talk of unt
lat@ral action. R. A. Butler, act
ing British prime minister,
fuses to disclose to House of
Commons details of secret
agreements made with Syngmal-
Rhee by Walter Robertson. He
says that “publication must d&
ae upon the decision of the

July 27—Armistice signed.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JULY 31, 1953 — PAGE 10