Korean War Armistice Agreement Returns After 73 Years... Copy Once Held by British Officer Found

Personal Copy Kept by British Officer Dispatched to UN
National 6.25 War Abductees Memorial Hall: "Significant Historical Value"

An English copy of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, believed to have been produced immediately after the signing of the agreement, is returning to South Korea after 73 years.

On June 6, Yonhap News Agency reported that the National 6.25 War Abductees Memorial Hall is in the process of purchasing an English copy of the Korean War Armistice Agreement from a private collector. The contract is expected to be finalized as early as this month.

The Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, between the United Nations Command, the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. At the time, the Republic of Korea was not a direct signatory to the agreement and therefore does not possess the original document.

Among the copies produced immediately after the signing, only a few, such as the English copy held by the Military Armistice Commission, are preserved in the National Archives of Korea. It is also known that the only related artifact in a national or public museum is the Chinese-language version kept by the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History.

Cover image of the copy of the "Korean War Armistice Agreement" scheduled to be purchased by the National Korean War Abductees Remembrance Hall (left) and UN Command Chief Representative Major General Harrison signing the armistice agreement at Panmunjom in 1953 (right). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The copy being acquired was kept for official use by a British Army officer who served at the United Nations Command Prisoner of War Camp in Munsan-ri, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in 1953. It was acquired by a South Korean collector through an auction.

The temporary United Nations Command Repatriation Group POW camp in Munsan-ri was established near what is now Dorasan Station after the armistice agreement for the exchange of prisoners of war. This location faces the Imjingak area, where the National 6.25 War Abductees Memorial Hall is currently situated, across the Imjin River.

The actual cover bears an English handwritten note stating, "Personal copy of Major M.B. McNabb," along with information such as "Senior British Representative" and "UN Command Repatriation Group Temporary POW Camp, Munsan-ri, Korea."

An official from the Memorial Hall explained, "We decided to purchase the copy, considering the clear connection between the armistice agreement and the issue of Korean War abductees, as well as the identifiable production period and original owner."

The Memorial Hall stated that this copy holds historical significance beyond being a simple document. Its value as an artifact is considered high, not only because it was produced immediately after the signing of the armistice agreement, but also because the identity of the first owner and the circumstances of its preservation have been clearly verified.

Once the acquisition process is complete, the Memorial Hall plans to register and preserve the artifact before eventually exhibiting it. It is expected to take about one to two years before it is released to the general public.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.