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execution of over 800 political prisoners in the outskirts of Seoul. Reports included truckloads of prisoners, including women and children, being unloaded and executed in the trenches where they were to be buried. Five riflemen did the shooting, with the executions beginning at 7.30 am and finishing at 8.10 am. An eyewitness account describes a young boy of about 8 years old, kneeling in a trench and crying, turning to one of the guards before being shot. Victims typically included alleged communists, saboteurs and murderers. While the killings were well documented by UN forces, the South Korean government continued to deny accusations that any wrongdoing had taken place.
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proceeded to execute prisoners a mere 150 feet from their camp; he was forced to walk away when they began executing children during breakfast. UN commanders were particularly concerned that their association with the regime would undermine their mission in Korea but did little to investigate into the killings. Rhee responded by pledging to end all mass executions and promised to mitigate death sentences for prisoners. While he gave assurances to UN leaders that the killings would stop and there would be thorough investigations and court martialing for guilty parties, it is difficult to assess if the executions continued out of eyesight.
99:, during which between 60,000 and 200,000 communists and alleged communist sympathizers were killed. The December massacres put increased international pressure and criticism on the Rhee regime. North Korean forces were also guilty of committing crimes throughout the war. One such instance in June 1950 resulted in the murder of over 700 wounded soldiers, medical staff and civilians in the
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The Rhee regime reacted brutally to the fall of
Pyongyang. The regime cracked down brutally on alleged communists following the fall of the city. Following the fall of Pyongyang, mass executions and arrests of communists became commonplace. This was not the first time either side had executed alleged
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The international community responded with outrage to news of the mass executions in the South. Globally there were calls for the Rhee regime to immediately halt the executions. Most reports suggest UN forces reacted with disgust to the mass executions. One
British soldier reported that ROK soldiers
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the
Chinese might be forced to intervene. In late October, Chinese forces crossed the Yalu River and engaged UN forces near the Chinese-Korean border. A number of victories by the Chinese would send United Nations and Republic of Korea (ROK) forces reeling southward. By early December, it had become
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Reports of mass executions continued to damage the legitimacy of the South Korean government and in turn the credibility of the United
Nations intervention. Mass executions generally declined following the December massacres but the Rhee regime further cemented its heavy-handed image. The massacres
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reported that nearly 300 men and women were detained and beaten with rifle butts and bamboo sticks. Other practices included inserting bamboo splinters under the nails as a torture method and mass shootings in public spaces. On Friday, 15 December 1950, British and
American Troops witnessed the
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supporters of the opposition, as throughout the war planned executions were a fairly common occurrence though usually on smaller more isolated scale. In
October,
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39:. It is believed the South Korean government executed thousands of people, however accurate estimates are difficult to come by. The
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made easy political propaganda for communist forces and were used to denounce the regime in the South for years to come.
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were a series of politically motivated executions carried out by the South Korean government following the recapture of
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Letter from
Private Duncan to Member of Parliament, National Archiver, Kew, UK, cited in Jager 2013, p. 149
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and the
Republic of Korea (ROK) had succeeded in nearly destroying all of the North Korean military. The
143:. "An Entirely New War." Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in Korea. New York City, 2013. Print.
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Li, Xiaobing. "Beijing's
Decision." China's Battle for Korea. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2014. Print.
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regime received criticism from the international community and the executions damaged his image.
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clear that UN forces would not defend
Pyongyang and the city was soon after recaptured.
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185:"The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) - 18 Dec 1950 - p1"
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161:"Seoul After Victory:Reverse Side to South Korean Rule,"
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Earlier that same year, the Rhee regime committed the
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101:Seoul National University Hospital Massacre
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16:1950 executions in Seoul, South Korea
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228:Massacres committed by South Korea
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122:List of massacres in South Korea
117:National Defense Corps Incident
51:By October 1950, forces of the
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31:. The killings took place in
238:December 1950 events in Asia
248:1950 murders in South Korea
223:Massacres of the Korean War
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57:People's Republic of China
233:Massacres in South Korea
258:Seoul in the Korean War
91:Historical significance
141:Jager, Sheila Miyoshi
97:Bodo League massacre
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128:References
61:Yalu River
47:Background
29:Korean War
68:Massacres
25:Pyongyang
111:See also
82:Reaction
37:Seoul
41:Rhee
19:The
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