The Moments of Korean Armistice Agreement
Look into the Korean War through a couple of important national archives and records
Soldiers Aiming (1950) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and ended unofficially on July 27, 1953, having lasted 3 years, 1 month and 2 days. The war devastated 80% of the landmass of the Korean Peninsula, from the Nakdonggang River down in the south to the Yalu River up in the north.
Panorama of the Conference Hall of the Military Armistice Commission (1970) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
It was not only domestic warfare on the Korean Peninsula but also international warfare involving over 20 countries, and footage of the war including the Korean armistice agreement remains vivid in the national records.
The Armistice Agreement (Conference Hall) (1953) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
The Korean Armistice Agreement
Statements from the National Assembly, presidential speeches and key elements of the Korean Armistice Agreement detail the situation before and after the armistice, which was signed on July 27, 1953.
In the video below, you can see the process from the opening of the armistice talk in Kaesong in 1951, the main battles during the talks, the discussion of exchange of prisoners, and the conclusion of the Armistice Agreement on July 7, 1953.
The Armistice Agreement (1953) by Ministry of National DefenseNational Archives of Korea
Notification of Resolution Agaist Korean War Armistice Negotiations Notification of Resolution Agaist Korean War Armistice Negotiations (1951) by Ministry of Government AdministrationNational Archives of Korea
The UN Command and the Korean People's Army and the Chinese People's Volunteers believed that it would be challenging to create a breakthrough in the conflict on the Korean Peninsula by military means and started pursuing an armistice in June 1951.
Talks over armistice commenced in Gaesung, North Korea on July 10, 1951. However, the talks continued until 1953 while battles continued at the 38th parallel due to disagreements over ceasefire agenda items. Against this backdrop, parliamentarians declared their official resistance to the armistice agreement in the plenary session of the National Assembly on June 5, 1951.
Notification of Resolution Agaist Korean War Armistice Negotiations Notification of Resolution Agaist Korean War Armistice Negotiations 4National Archives of Korea
Parliamentarians at the time asserted in a resolution that ousting the invader to prevent the recurrence of hostilities would guarantee security over the Korean Peninsula, since the UN Command's operations in Korea were aimed at protecting a unified, liberal democratic state.
Moreover, they claimed that although the armistice agreement may have been intended to avert a world war, the Korean War had already escalated into a world war, and that they would resist any form of armistice but endorse the continued fight for an "independent and unified country."
Significant Statement on Ceasefire Proposal Significant Statement on Ceasefire Proposal (1951) by Office of the PresidentNational Archives of Korea
This script was produced by the Bureau of Public Information in 1951 and submitted to President Rhee Syngman. It expresses Korea's stance on the armistice negotiation proposed by the Soviet ambassador to the United Nations Yakov Alexandrovich Malik on June 24 1951. President Rhee announced on June 27 1951 that he refuses any hasty and hollow promises of peace which will ultimately lead to a more terrible war.
Significant Statement on Ceasefire Proposal Significant Statement on Ceasefire Proposal 11National Archives of Korea
President Rhee Syngman claimed in a statement that the UN must ensure a complete cessation of hostilities so that communist forces will never attack Korean citizens again. President Rhee continued to oppose armistice talks, citing such grounds as withdrawal of Chinese forces, the need for disarmament of North Korea and general elections overseen by the UN.
Campaigns Against the Ceasefire (1951) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
People marching through the streets in campaigns against the ceasefire. College girls protesting with a sign reading "No truce without reunification - by Korea Women's Youth Group Gyeongsangnam Province Club"
Transfer of Case of Popular Campaign Against Ceasefire Transfer of Case of Popular Campaign Against Ceasefire (1953) by Ministry of Government AdministrationNational Archives of Korea
The National Assembly's resolution on the national anti-ceasefire movement can be found in documents sent from the Ministry of Government Administration to the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 11, 1953. The National Assembly suggested that the government take necessary steps to prevent UN institutions from misunderstanding the intention behind the anti-ceasefire movement.
Transfer of Case of Popular Campaign Against Ceasefire Transfer of Case of Popular Campaign Against Ceasefire 3National Archives of Korea
It states that current state of armistice negotiations without unification is a humiliation and that the national opposition movements can lead to misunderstandings by the United Nations and or other foreign governments. Therefore, the National Assembly requests that the Government take all action in itself and with the United Nations Forces to ensure that the purpose of the national movements are fully understood in order to avoid any mishaps.
The Armistice Agreement (Conference Hall) (1953) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed by General Mark W. Clark, Commander-in-Chief of the UN Command, Marshall Kim Il-sung, Supreme Commander of Korean People's Army, and Peng Teh-Huai, Commander of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. The Republic of Korea was not a signatory to the agreement, as President Rhee remained opposed to the idea.
The Armistice Agreement Statement 1 (1953) by Ministry of Foreign AffairsNational Archives of Korea
The agreement, written in English, and with a total 36 pages, was received by the Korean Government through its embassy to the United States on August 31, 1953.
The cover states, "Agreement between the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers, on the other hand, concering a military armistice in Korea".
The Armistice Agreement Statement 2 (1953) by Ministry of Foreign AffairsNational Archives of Korea
The preamble of the Armistice Agreement contains the following : ① Armistice Conditions and Compliance with Regulations, ② Military Demarcation Line and Demilitarized Zone (paragraphs 1-11 of Article 1), ③ Concrete Arrangements for Ceasefire and Armistice (paragraphs 12-50 of Article 2)
④ Arrangement Relating to Prisoners of War (paragraphs 51-59 of Article 3), ⑤ Recommendations to the Governments Concerned on Both Sides(paragraphs 60 of Article 4), ⑥ Miscellaneous(paragraphs 61-63 of Article 5), and ⑦ Appendix: Regulations on the Scope of Authority of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission.
On August 8, 1953, the initial signing ceremony of the Mutual Defense Treaty was held in Seoul. The Republic of Korea and the United States had promoted the treaty before and after the Armistice Agreement.
ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty Initial Signing Ceremony (1953) by Ministry of National DefenseNational Archives of Korea
ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty Initial Signing (1953) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
Foreign Minister Byeon Yeong-tae and US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles are signing the Mutual Defense Treaty Between the Republic of Korea and the United States.
Mutual Defense Treaty Between the Republic of Korea and the United States (Treaty No. 34) (1954) by Ministry of Government AdministrationNational Archives of Korea
This is the official gazette of November 13, 1954, in which the Mutual Defense Treaty between Korea and the United States was promulgated. The treaty consists of six articles in total, and it contains the Korean and English notes exchanged in Washington on October 1, 1953.
Learn about the eruption of the Korea war and the progression of battles here and the life of Korean War refugees depicted in the national archives here.
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