Korean War Prisoners of War: History and Repatriation
During the Korean War, thousands of soldiers and civilians became prisoners of war, enduring captivity amid brutal fighting, severe shortages, and shifting front lines. Their experiences reflected the conflict’s human cost and intensified tensions between opposing forces.
The history of Korean War prisoners of war also reveals difficult questions about treatment, repatriation, political allegiance, and international law. Many captives faced uncertain fates long after the armistice was signed in 1953.
During the Korean War, prisoners of war included captured soldiers from the United Nations Command, the Republic of Korea, North Korea, and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. Their treatment and eventual repatriation became major military and political issues.
North Korean and Chinese forces held many United Nations personnel in camps across North Korea and Manchuria. Conditions varied, but prisoners often faced inadequate food, disease, forced labor, harsh discipline, and intensive political indoctrination.
United Nations forces also captured large numbers of North Korean and Chinese soldiers. Some prisoners refused to return to their original governments, creating disputes over voluntary repatriation during the 1951–1953 armistice negotiations.
The Korean War prisoners of war were exchanged through Operation Little Switch in April and May 1953, followed by Operation Big Switch from August to December. Those declining repatriation were transferred to neutral supervision under the armistice agreement.