Two Unresolved Differences Regarding POWs
Enemy Side Rejects Exchange with Civilians
Also Rejects Repatriation Based on Free Will
(Jan. 17, 1952, Cho-sun Daily, 1st page)

[Munsan- Jan. 15- with special AP reporting] UN military representative, Admiral R. E. Libby, told the press corps on the afternoon of the 15th that in their discussions of the POW exchange issue, there were clearly two major issues they could not resolve. He added he had no choice but to report that there had been absolutely no progress. Meanwhile, the issue of monitoring the armistice, which was discussed at the meeting of the second subcommittee, also had yielded nothing whatsoever in the way of results.
Admiral Libby also commented on the subcommittee on the fourth article, on which two differences were becoming clear.
The UN side wants POWs to be repatriated according to their own wishes and the South Koreans who were placed into the Communist army to be treated as POWs, but the Communist side is protesting that our side’s proposal to exchange prisoners with POWs violates the agreed upon agenda.