Saved By His Art: A Northern Korean Describes Conscription By The Communists And Surviving As A Prisoner Of War

Artist Seok Won Yoon was born on April 13, 1923, four years into the Japanese occupation of Korea. His father was a pastor of a Christian Church, and his mother died when he was in 3rd grade. He grew up with four older brothers in the northern part of Korea. The Japanese began their occupation of Korea in 1919, and it lasted until 1945. He recalls attending school under Japanese instruction. Until World War II started, he felt that the Japanese treated the Koreans well, but during the war, they were cruel as they tried to supply their armies from Korean sources. After high school, he attended art school in Japan. He recalls the country being divided at the 38th parallel after World War II and the Soviet occupation. At this time, he was teaching art in Pyongyang and had such renown that he was selected to paint the official portrait of Kim Il Sung. He recalls the shock of seeing North Korean troops and military equipment moving through the town before the Korean War broke out, and later realized that the North Koreans had started the war even though the propaganda coming from the government stated that the South Koreans initiated the conflict. The North Korean attack was extremely successful at first. MacArthur’s Inchon landing changed all of that and Kim Il Sung ordered everyone to join the military. Seok Won was unwillingly inducted into the Army as an officer based on his college education and professional standing, and he began looking for the first opportunity to surrender, when the American forces pushed the North Koreans to the Yalu River. In Pyongyang, the Americans were hailed as liberators. When the Chinese entered the war, many northerners fled to the south. Suffering from the cold, Seok Won surrendered in October 1950 to survive and describes being evacuated as a Prisoner of War from Wonson to Pusan and eventually to Koje-do Island (Geojedo) on an LST (Landing Ship, Tank). Before the Koje-do Riot, Seok Won served as a representative in the camp for 9,000 prisoners. While in the camp, he began drawing portraits of the American officers, which resulted in better treatment and increasing prestige and respect from his captors. At one point, he designed an aesthetically pleasing front gate to the camp. He describes life in the camp, including discussing the rations, the riot where American General Dodd was captured, and divisions between pro- and anti-communist prisoners. Throughout his captivity, his artistic abilities saved him. He remembers doing a portrait of General Van Fleet, and was eventually taken to the mainland to paint portraits of other American officers. In this capacity, he experienced increasing freedom to work, eventually building a small studio in the headquarters. When the cease-fire was implemented, North Korea sought the return of all their prisoners, but the anti-communist prisoners wanted to remain in the south. As the prisoner swap was being negotiated, five countries were responsible for administering the peace treaty and reparations. Seok Won found himself being guarded by Indian troops. An American officer he had become friendly with sought him out to say goodbye and secretly gave him a radio to monitor the political situation. Eventually, Seok Won was able to escape to the south. After the war, he married and immigrated to the United States, where he continued his art. Decades later, three of his grandchildren graduated from the United States Military Academy. Edmund Yoon (USMA ’11) is an engineer, while Justin Yoon (USMA ’13) and Andrew Yoon (USMA ’16) are both aviators. In this interview, Seok Won Yoon, assisted and translated by his son Daniel, talks about his childhood, the occupation of Korea by the Japanese, and his experiences during the Korean War. He highlights how his abilities as an artist helped him survive captivity. He discusses his experiences in the Koje-do prison camp and recalls the strife between communist and anti-communist prisoners. Finally, he reflects on MacArthur and freedom.