Prisoners of War Exchange
April 20th, 1953 – December 23rd, 1953
At the peace talks at Panmunjom, many long months were spent negotiating the terms of the release of prisoners of war on both sides. One dilemma the committee faced was the fact that many prisoners captured by the U.N.C. did not want to return to North Korea or China. Many South Korean had been captured and forced into the Korean People’s Army against their will. They wished to return to South Korea, not North Korea. Similarly, many Chinese soldiers of the People’s Republic of China wanted to settle in Taiwan, not their communist home. This angered the KPA and PRC, leading to the negotiations being halted.
After the death of Stalin in early March of 1953, tensions lessened between North and South Korea. Soon, the KPA and PRC agreed to the exchange of all wounded soldiers. This exchange was known as the “Little Switch” and took place in 1953 from April 20th through May 3rd. 684 soldiers came home to the U.N.; 6,670 soldiers were returned to China and North Korea.
At the peace talks, the parties agreed to allow prisoners’ home countries to attempt to persuade them to return. This was supervised by the newly created Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. Operation “Big Switch” arrangements took place after the signing of the armistice on July 27th of 1953. The exchange began on August 5th and lasted until December 23rd. Of the 132,000 communist prisoners taken by the U.N.C., only 75,823 prisoners voluntarily returned to North Korea or China. 12,773 U.N.C. prisoners were returned in the exchange.
The exchange of POWs symbolized the end of the war and its violence.
After the death of Stalin in early March of 1953, tensions lessened between North and South Korea. Soon, the KPA and PRC agreed to the exchange of all wounded soldiers. This exchange was known as the “Little Switch” and took place in 1953 from April 20th through May 3rd. 684 soldiers came home to the U.N.; 6,670 soldiers were returned to China and North Korea.
At the peace talks, the parties agreed to allow prisoners’ home countries to attempt to persuade them to return. This was supervised by the newly created Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. Operation “Big Switch” arrangements took place after the signing of the armistice on July 27th of 1953. The exchange began on August 5th and lasted until December 23rd. Of the 132,000 communist prisoners taken by the U.N.C., only 75,823 prisoners voluntarily returned to North Korea or China. 12,773 U.N.C. prisoners were returned in the exchange.
The exchange of POWs symbolized the end of the war and its violence.