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- Part of Korean War Files (Truman Administration), Department of State Files
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OCR Page 1 of 8FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
pt NATURAL
Action Assigned to
SECURITY
PRIORITY:
AIR POUCH
Action Taken
Noted
For Dept.
only.
795b.00/5-1251
R
TO
Department of State
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
1 Enclosure
C E MAY
XR 995b.60
D
28
FROM :
PUSAN 163, May 12, 1951
Date of Action
DATE OF PREPARATION:
May 5, 1951
July
1951 MAY 31 AM 9 39
REF :
XR 795b.551
Action Office Symbol
NAFE
Name of Officer
SUBJECT :
"TIGER" KIM VS. THE PRESSUREAU OF
FAR EASTERN AFFAIRS
Direction to DC/RD
FR
DCR
OLI
An American who returned to Korea the other day after an absence of
IE
three years was given an account of the recent series of incidents which
have engaged public attention- the Kochang Massacre (Embtel 899, April 25)
UNA
the Case of the Libelous Leaflets (Embdes 137, April 12), the Corruption
in the Second Militia (Embtel 857, April 11), and the Mystery of the
ECA
Defense Minister's Resignation (Embdes 147, May 2). After hearing the
account to its end the American remarked, "It sounds as though I'd
mcb
never left Korea--the names and specific details have changed slightly,
but it's the same crop of scandal, intrigue, and rumor."
Within the past fortnight yet another incident has been added to the
current crop, that of "Tiger" Kim and the newsmen. Undoubtedly in time
this too will give place to some succeeding incident, but for the time
being it is attracting its full share of notoriety. The incident is at
the same time both representative enough of its kind and indicative
enough of social and political conditions in present-day Korea to
merit attention.
Col. Kim's Background
Colonel KIM Chong-won, who prefers to be known by the sobriquet of
"Tiger" Kim, is presently serving as Vice Commander of Military Police
in the Civil Affairs Department of the South Kyongsang District Martial
Law Command, District Provost Marshal and Commanding Officer of the
District Army Security Unit. The net effect of these various titles is
to make him the principle agent for the enforcing of martial law and,
as such, one of the most powerful men in the province. Although he is
nominally under the ROK Army, it is common knowledge that he has direct
access to the President, to whom he supplies information and from whom
he presumably receives direct orders.
There are numerous gaps and contradictions in available biographic
information concerning him, even his personnel form in the ROK Army file
lapsing into unexplained silence at certain points. For this reason
the following remarks concerning him may later be found mistaken in
certain biographic details. But the general outline and tenor of his
background is well enough known to assure that the picture is essentially
realistic.
Colonel Kim is a large, impressive looking man of almost 30 of that
type which one immediately labels as a "tough cookie." He was born on
Mid
MWeatherby:der
PROJECT DECLASSIFIED art 74.53
MAY 20 1953
ACTION COPY - DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BWVLT NG NARS, Date5-f-79
The action office must return this permanent record copy to DC/R files with an endorsement of action taken
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