By Kim, Kook-Hun a Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor Of

THE NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE'S ARMY: ITS RISE AND FALL, 1945-1950 by Kim, Kook-Hun A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of London King's College London August 1989 ProQuest Number: 11010462 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11010462 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Abstract The North Korean People's Army: Its Rise and Fall. 1945-1950 The aim of this thesis is to look into the structural, ideological and strategic features of the (North) Korean People's Army from its birth in late 1945 to the debacle in late 1950, thereby forming a coherent and up-to-date account of the early KPA, which is essential to a proper enquiry into the origins and character of the Korean War. The cadre members of the KPA were from three origins: the Soviet- affiliated Kim IISung group; the Yenan group, the returnees from China; and the Soviet-Korean group, a functionary group of the Soviet occupation authorities. Among them, the Kim IlSung group was to play the key role in the making of the KPA. The People's Army started from the founding ofthe Pyongyang Institute in November 1945. By August 1946 the basic conditions and preparations for building the regular armed forces of North Korea were settled. By February 1948, when the founding of the KPA was proclaimed, the People's Army was well established; though, the actual strength of the KPA remained rather modest until mid-1949. The rapid expansion and modernisation of the KPA took place between July 1949 and May 1950. The quantum leap of the KPA during March to May 1950 was exceptionally clear evidence of the likelihood of the outbreak of war in the near future. The Korean War decision was made among the leaders of North Korea, the Soviet Union, and the PRC, during the winter of 1949-50. Most probably it was initiated by the North Korean leadership who were increasingly confident of their strengthened position over the south which itself was in disarray. The all-out attack against South Korea in June 1950 was only the final phase of the 'Southern Strategy' which the North Korean leadership had been pursuing since late 1945. It was neither the only alternative left nor a pre-emptive strike in a desperate mood. That the North Korean leadership started the invasion in an over-confident mood can be proven through the close examination of KPA preparations for and conduct of the war. Acknowledgements I am grateful for the rigorous and encouraging guidance of my supervisors, Professor Lawrence Freedman and Dr. Wolf Mendl, whilst writing this thesis, as well as during my stay at King's College London. I am greatly indebted to the following in shaping the main themes of this work: Mr. Kim Nam-sik of the Research Institute for International Affairs, Mr. Kim Ki-ok of the War History Compilation Committee, Mr. Kim Won-jin of the Institute for the Unification and Security of Korea, and Professor Kim Hak-joon of the Seoul National University. I am pleased to mention my fond memory of Professors Allan R. Millett and Richardson Murray of the Ohio State University, who supervised my M.A. thesis from which this work has grown. I wish to thank most warmly Mr. Corin Levick, who has typed this work with perseverance, proficiency and good humour. I owe a great deal to my government for allowing me this valuable opportunity of studying overseas in the most favourable possible conditions. Lastly, but not the least, my thanks are due to my wife and colleague, Professor Soon-Ae Yoo-Kim and our beloved children, Jeong-keun and Kyung- hee, who have endured several years' separation from me and transformed the years into an ever productive and meaningful period. Thoughts of them have been the greatest encouragement for me for the last four years. Abbreviations Abbreviations used in the text CCF Chinese Communist Forces CCP Chinese Communist Party DFRF Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland DNUFNK Democratic National United Front of North Korea DNUFSK Democratic National United Front of South Korea DPRK Democratic People's Republic of Korea FDSA Fatherland Defence Support Association FEAF [US] Far East Air Force KCP Korean Communist Party KMAG [US] Military Advisory Group to Korean KPA Korean People's Army KVA Korean Volunteer Army KVC Korean Volunteer Corps NEPRA North-East People's Revolutionary Army NEAJUA North-East Anti-Japanese United Army NKCP North Korean Communist Party NKPC North Korean People's Committee NKPPC North Korean Provisional People's Committee NKWP North Korean Workers' Party PLA People's Liberation Army PRC People's Republic of China ROK Republic of Korea SKWP South Korean Workers' Party UNTCOK United Nations Temporary Committee on Korea USAMGIK United States Army Military Government in Korea WPK Workers' Party of Korea Abbreviations used in notes HNKA History of the North Korean Army HUNF History of the United Nations Forces in Korea ISNK Intelligence Summary, North Korea FRUS Foreign Relations of the United States CONTENTS Abstract Acknowledgements Abbreviations INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER ONE POLITICAL SETTING 16 CHAPTER TWO THE ORIGINS OF THE CADRES 25 The Partisan Group The Yenan Group The Soviet-Korean Group CHAPTER THREE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK, 1945.8 - 1946.8 42 Political Setting Setting up Security Forces The P'yongyang Institute The Security Cadres Training Corps CHAPTER FOUR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KPA, 1946.8 - 1948.12 57 Political Setting Growth of the People's Army Strengthening the Security Forces The Founding of the Korean People's Army CHAPTER FIVE TOWARDS A WAR, 1948.12 - 1950.6 79 Political Setting The Expansion of the KPA Pseudo-Warfare between North and South Korea The Last Preparations for the War CHAPTER SIX THE TRIALS OF THE WAR, 1950.6 - 1950.12 131 The Complacent War Plan The Incomplete Breakthrough Advance by Atrrition The Unacceptable Defeat CONCLUSIONS 186 Appendices 196 Notes 206 Bibliography 227 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this thesis is two fold: (1) to examine the structural, ideological and strategic features of the (North) Korean People's Army (KPA) from its birth in late 1945 to the debacle in 1950; and (2) to establish a theory on the origins and nature of the Korean War, inter alia through the examination of the KPA in that era. The literature on the early KPA is not rich. Notwithstanding growing concern, accumulating knowledge and novel viewpoints in North Korean and Korean War studies, the history of the early KPA has remained meagrely researched. In 1986 Keith D. McFarland, an American writer, produced a superb reference work on the Korean War entitled, The Korean War; An Annotated Bibliography. Among over 2,300 entries in this work there is no book-length account in western languages dealing exclusively and comprehensively with the early history of the KPA. In 1985 the Institute for Korean War Studies in Seoul produced a thorough reference work titled Han'guk Chonchaeng Kwankae Charyo Munhonchip [Collections of Source Materials on the Korean War], which included materials in Korean and Japanese. Among more than 3,500 entries in this reference work, there are only a few scholarly works on the early KPA, with the exception of primary source materials mostly produced by the ROK Ministry of National Defence or its armed services. As such the history of the early KPA has remained a wasteland in the West, having many questions unresolved even in the cases of basic data, such as names of prominent figures, dates and places of major events, or lineage of units. The poor state of in-depth study of the early KPA does not necessarily mean that relevant knowledge and materials are wanting. The problem is that existing knowledge and source materials related to this topic are uneven in their quantity and quality and have yet to be organised into a coherent system of knowledge. It would be helpful to examine the situation of relevant knowledge and source materials in 7 three parts: the origins of the cadres of the KPA; the founding and development of the KPA from late 1945 to June 1950; and the employment of the KPA in the first year of the war. To trace the origins of the cadres of the KPA is actually to inquire into the Korean communist movement before 1945. In this field significant scholarly works have been produced only in the late 1960s. In 1967 Dae-sook Suh produced The Korean Communist Movement. 1918- 1948. probably the first significant work in this field. In 1972 Robert A. Scalapino and Chong-sik Lee produced Communism in Korea in two volumes, a monumental work in Korean communism and North Korean studies. During 1967 and 1976, Kim Chun-yop and Kim Ch'ang-sun produced Han'guk Kongsanchuui Undonqsa [History of the Korean Communist Movement] in five volumes, perhaps the standard work in this field. With the publication by the two Kims of the above work, it may well be said that the pre-1945 history of the Korean communist movement has been organised into a coherent system of knowledge.

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