Murder of prisoners or wounded
was a preferred North Korean tactic. The UN
estimates that 26,000
South Koreans were murdered in the first few
months of the war by the invading KPA. Mostly on
grounds they had opposed North Korea
politically.
Over 7,000 civilians, ROKs and US
troops were tied up and shot in Taejon alone. By
the Cease Fire, some 8,000 American POWs were
missing and assumed murdered. South Korean troops
were butchered in much larger numbers. My
greatest regret from the Korean War is that we
were never able to round up these killers,
identify them, and hang them all.