Courtesy Photo | Andrew Narel and Marion Panell, 971st CIC Detachment, Seoul, 1947 (courtesy photo).... read more read more
Subscribe
by Fiona G. Holter, USAICoE Staff Historian
On September 9, 1945, the first agents from the 224th Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) Detachment arrived in Inchon to support the liberation of Korea from Japan. Between 1945-1948, the CIC worked across South Korea supporting the American occupation of Korea.
Korea had been subjected to Japanese imperial rule since 1910. In accordance with the Cairo Declaration of 1942, upon the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, Korea was to become “in due course… free and independent.” To ensure the full liberation of Korea from Japan’s foothold on the peninsula, the Soviet Union (USSR) moved into the region north of the 38th parallel while the U.S. XXIV Corps established a government of occupation south of that line. Over the next three years, the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea, under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, helped establish democracy across South Korea.
On September 9, 1945, the first agents from the 224th CIC Detachment, under the command of Lt. Col. Byron M. Meurlott, arrived in Inchon to support liberation efforts in southern Korea. During the first few months, the 224th worked to disarm Japanese troops across the region, repatriate Japanese nationals, and maintain law and order as the Military Government established itself.
In April 1946, the 971st CIC Detachment was organized under the command of Maj. Jack B. Reed to replace the 224th CIC and several smaller combat detachments to streamline CIC efforts across South Korea. This reorganization increased both human intelligence and counterintelligence coverage in the region as the CIC grew to twenty-one field offices. Like in other regions, the 971st CIC was responsible for handling cases of espionage, sabotage, and security threats, as well as acquiring informants, translators, and interpreters to assist in their investigations. In regions where the Army lacked a Criminal Investigation Division, CIC agents picked up the mantle, taking on several criminal investigations. These cases varied from violations of regulations concerning the Military Government’s petroleum distribution program, opium smuggling, and the murder of an American soldier at the Taejon railway yard.
While most investigations went smoothly, the 971st agents faced their share of challenges. Their largest problem was the lack of agents who spoke Korean. With only a handful of CIC agents fluent in the language, the detachment had to rely too heavily on native interpreters and translators. The agents found the natives hired to translate for them were often too easily swayed by mercenary impulses or were sympathetic to the communist government set up by the USSR in North Korea. Despite their best efforts, the CIC found their need for interpreters and translators often left them susceptible to espionage from the north. To avoid being infiltrated by communist spies, they limited their operations, choosing to work only with their own CIC and Nisei linguists or natives proven to be loyal to the U.S.
The American occupation of Korea ended on 15 August 1948 after the election of Syngman Rhee as president of the Republic of Korea. The 971st returned home in December 1948 and all U.S. troops were pulled out of South Korea by 19 June 1949. However, only a year later, they returned after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950.
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2022 14:00 |
| Story ID: | 428687 |
| Location: | FORT HUACHUCA, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 340 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, CIC supports liberation and occupation efforts in South Korea, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
