The Korean War: Refugees


Figure 1.--Here South Koreans decided to move further south, worried about another Chinese offensive. The press caption read, "South Again: Korean refugees, the only people in the world who have no illusions these days, begin their march south at the first hint of discouragement during the armistice talks. The photograph was taken August 26, 1951.

The Korean War refugees for some reason are some of the least covered refugees of the 20th century and one of the most tragic refugee groups. The impact of the Korean conflict on the Korean civilian population was particularly traumatic. Precise date is unknowable, but the toll on the civilian population was enormous. There are believed to have been some 3-4 million casualties (dead, injured, and missing). There are estimates that some 1 million people in the north fled south to escape from the advancing Chinese Army (December 1950-April 1951). The refugee flow was virtually all one way, civilians moving south, fleeing the Communists. Very few Koreans fled north as the U.N. armies broke out of the Pusan Perimeter (September 1950). Many thought that their flight south would be temporary. They left land, property, heirloom, and family members behind that they would be reunited after onl y a brief period of separation. Family members found themselves permanently separated. A few were briefly reunited when the two Koreas agreed to unification visit (2002). [Haan] Others managed to flee as a family group, but failed to keep together as they trekked south. Parents were killed or captured. Children became lost or died of exposure and malnutrition. There were incidents of soldiers firing on refuges, but the greater problem was exposure in cold weather and the lack of food and water. There was no provision for refugees, especially during the first year of the war when the battle lines swung widely north and south over virtually the entire length of the peninsula. During this period it was only American GIs sharing their provisions that saved many from starvation, especially the children. As the war progressed and the fontline stabalized, relief efforts became more regularized One important group was CARE, a group fonded at the end of World War II to assist people in War-torn Europe.

Sources

Haan, Phil de. "50 Years And Counting: The Impact of the Korean War on the People of the Peninsula" (May 2002).








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Created: 9:30 AM 5/22/2014
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Last updated: 12:19 AM 12/24/2015