North Korean propaganda

North Korean propaganda card and letter, 1952. Click on thumbnails for more detail.

Commentary by Bob Jagger

Propaganda

The Communist Chinese and North Koreans used to fly over and drop propaganda down to us. We took it all with a grain of salt. It was unbelievable really, though I suppose the Americans might have been doing the same to them.

The North Koreans hated the sight of the Americans. Even the South Koreans did not like the Americans although they were trying to save them. As gunners, we seemed to get more flak when we were supporting the American Division with artillery fire. In those circumstances, we noticed that it always appeared that the “enemy” was throwing even more stuff (hostile fire) at us. It may just have been so at the time.

In the winter of 1952, the Chinese and the North Koreans hung Christmas cards along the barbed wire in front of our OP (Observation Post) near the line we were working on, and on the British lines and those of other Commonwealth Forces in Korea. The cards were found by the infantry.

The card and the letter contained in it were part of a propaganda war waged by the Chinese and North Korean enemies against the United Nations Command.

The Canterbury Branch New Zealand Korea Veterans Association states that ‘These items typify the use of psychological warfare used by the enemy to divide the allied forces led by the United States, and shows another kind of pressure to which our soldiers were subjected.’

The card reads:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
from
The Korean People’s Army
The Chinese People’s Volunteers

Korea 1952-3

Where there is
Peace
there is blessing.

Best wishes from an enemy in 1952…
And one to our dear friends many years on.

From………………………

The letter reads:

British Officers and Soldiers,

It is 28 months since the Yanks dragged Britain into this war. Nearly 10,000 British lads have been killed or wounded in this period (actual number of casualties to September 1952 ----- 9393).

The Gloucester Regiment has suffered particularly heavy losses as a result of American selfishness. Now British soldiers have also been rushed into Koje Island, where the Yanks have been committing the most terrible crimes against Prisoners of War. They want you to share their responsibility. Though, all over Britain, the people are longing for peace, yet the so-called United Nations delegation - which is run entirely by the U.S. without a single Britisher on it - has been sabotaging the truce talks. They are forcing you to face another grim winter in Korea.

Is it not true that almost every letter you get from home mentions how prices are going up - food, clothing, fares and nearly everything else?

The Minister of Labour has reported there are now 517,000 unemployed in Britain.

Where is Britain getting to as a result of tailing behind the Yanks, the American Big Business millionaires who want to grab the whole world for their profits?

Is it not quite plain--

That only peace will put a stop to further,
unnecessary casualties for all you lads;
that only peace will save your folks from
the growing burden of armaments expenditure;
and peace will give you the chance of spending
Christmas along your dear ones.

Even U.S. Airmen have lately been refusing to fly in the Korean war.

Friends! Don’t fight for the Yanks any more! Without you, they cannot keep up this war!

The Korean People’s Army

The Chinese People’s Volunteers