The National Defense Corps Incident was a

death march A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war, other captives, or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinct from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Convention requires tha ...

that occurred between December 1950 and February 1951, during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, as a result of corruption. The incident refers to both the deaths from starvation during the retreat and the corruption that led to the deaths.

Background

On 11 December 1950, South Korea issued an act establishing the National Defense Corps. South Korean citizens aged 17 to 40, excluding military, police, and government officials, were drafted into the National Defense Corps. The

Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965), also known by his art name Unam (), was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisiona ...

government then adopted officers from the pro-Rhee into the Corps.

March

406,000 drafted citizens were deployed in 49 training units. The National Defense Corps soldiers were then ordered to march south. However, funds for food purchases were embezzled by the National Defense Corps Commander Kim Yun-geun (; also spelled Kim Yoon-keun or Kim Yungun), son-in-law of

Defense Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Shin Song-mo. This led to the deaths of numerous soldiers from either malnutrition or frostbite.

Number of deaths and casualties

By June 1951, when an investigating committee made known its findings, it was reported that some 50,000 to 90,000 soldiers starved to death or died of disease on the march and in the training camps. Figures vary on the number of deaths and casualties. According to a 13 June 1951 article in the ''New York Times'', approximately 300,000 men were lost to death or desertion over a three-week 300-mile march. According to a 2021 article in ''

Foreign Policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...

'' by S. Nathan Park, 120,000 soldiers died from frostbite and malnutrition.

Aftermath

On 30 April 1951, the

National Assembly of South Korea The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea () is the unicameral national legislature of South Korea. Elections to the National Assembly are held every four years. The latest legislative elections were held on 10 April 2024. The current Na ...

adopted a resolution on disbandment of the National Defense Corps. The National Assembly investigation showed that the commanding officers embezzled one billion won, and tens of millions of won was misappropriated to President

's political fund. In May 1951, Vice-President Yi Si-yeong resigned. In June, it was reported that five billion won in funds for the National Defense Corps had been embezzled. On 12 August 1951, five commanding officers were executed as persons in charge of the incident.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:National Defense Corps Incident Military scandals Political scandals Death marches 1951 in South Korea Events that led to courts-martial Massacres in 1951 South Korean war crimes War crimes in South Korea

Background

March

Number of deaths and casualties

Aftermath

See also

References