'BOY SCOUT' ORGANIZATION NEAR ONGJIN, NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A003800070009-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2006
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 17, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/05/24: CIA-RDP80-0081OA003800070009-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
01" , it
0 'IBM
DATE OF INFO.
"Boy Scout" Organization near
OngJin, North Korea
This Document contains Information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 19, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
emended, Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT NO. 25X1
DATE DISTR. 17 March 1954
NO. OF PAGES 2
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
25X1
1. From mid-June 1953 to 3 January 1954 an organization of "Boy Scouts" was observed
in the Ongjin (N 37.56, E 125-22) (YC-0801) area, with headquarters in a police
barracks at NaengJong-ni (YC-1101), in tunnels dug into a hill. The scouts, who
appeared to be between the ages of 15 and 18 years, were observed in the Sudae-
san (YC-0804) area and at a police substation in Ongjin. They usually wore North
Korean army (NKA.) uniforms without shoulder boards or insignia. They wore the
standard NKA cap with a red star, and either white or Chinese Communist olive-drab
sneakers. The squad and platoon leaders wore North Korean police officers uni-
forms. The scouts were armed with United States carbines and M-1 rifles, Soviet
PPSh's, and Mossin-Nagant rifles and carbines. Few of these scouts were observed
prior to the armistice.1
2. Membership in the organization was voluntary. North Korean police spotted
potential members and sent trusted scouts to recruit them. Membership consisted
only of boys whose fathers or close relatives were loyal Communists, such as
Labor Party members, model policemen,, etc., or boys who had lost their parents
or family during the war. The police controlled, trained, supervised, and directed
the organization. Both basic military training and "detective training"2 were
given.
3a To maintain local security in support of the police, the scouts, in five or six-
man teams, patrolled villages twice daily, once in the daytime, once at night.3
Night patrols usually started at 8 or 9 p.m. They did guard duty at important
road junctions and at entrances to towns, with onerman on duty at any given time
and the other 4 or 5 on call. Police going out to village police substations
were usually accompanied by four or five of the scouts. The boys were very alert
at all times.4 If they observed anyone who appeared suspicious, they asked him
many questions. If there was the slightest reason to be dissatisfied with the
answers, the boys took the offender to a police station for more thorough
questioning. It was rumored that the scouts had captured three South Korean
agents in early August 1953 at Songjong-ni, that the agents were tried in court
at NaengJong-ni, and were sentenced to 11, 13, and 16 years imprisonment. It was
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Approved For Release 2006/05/24: CIA-RDP80-0081OA003800070
El
 Approved For Release 2006/05/24: CIA-RDP80-0081OA003800070009-4
also rumored that the scouts had captured three South Korean agents in July 1953
at Tanch'on-ni and three more at Changdon-ni near Chayang (YC-18o8).
1. omment. According to an inhabitant of Songjong-ni (YB-0899),
me, ength of the organization after the cease-fire was about 70 or 80,
and membership was to be increased gradually.
Comment. Presumably the 70 or 80 were in Ongjin-gun.
Comments
2. According to a local inhabitant, regular primary and middle school education
was given in the barracks, under police supervision. Though primary and
middle schools had compulsory boys' organizations, the "Boy Scouts" were not
connected with them.
3. According to a local inhabitant, occasionally a team consisted of 10 or 11
boys. Sometimes the daylight patrol was not made.
4o Public attitude toward the boys was unfavorable because they made it a
practice to eavesdrop on private conversations while on their night patrols.
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2006/05/24: CIA-RDP80-0081OA003800070009-4