POW/MIA Issues

This report was prepared as a part of the project "The POW/MIA Issue in U.S.-North Korean Relations." The report consists of three volumes. This volume addresses American prisoners of war (POW) and missing in action (MIA) cases who were not repatriated following the Korean War, with particular emphasis on whether any American servicemen were transferred to USSR territory during the war. The author finds evidence that Americans were in fact transferred to the USSR from the Korean War zone of combat operations. The tentative identity of one individual is presented, as is an estimate that approximately 50 American POW/MIAs were transferred to Soviet territory. The report looks at evidence that Americans were transported to and retained in the People's Republic of China, concluding that with the exception of highly publicized cases that eventually led to repatriation, American servicemen were not retained in China following the war. The report also discusses the location of American remains in North Korean territory and suggests policy measures that could improve the chances of their recovery and repatriation. It concludes with recommendations for a U.S. policy toward recovering remains from North Korea. The central elements of this strategy derive from the requirement to retrieve additional identification media from North Korea. The proposed change in U.S. policy shifts priority to methods of recovering remains that will increase the possibility that remains can be confidently associated with Americans who did not return from the Korean War.