A letter written by the U.S. ambassador to Seoul more than 50 years ago reveals that Washington had authorized American soldiers to fire at Korean refugees should they approach U.S. defense lines. The letter was published by the Associated Press, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its reports on the civilian massacre at the hamlet of No Gun Ri during the Korean War.

Washington gave the green light to U.S. troops to fire at Korean refugees at No Gun Ri, according to the letter to the U.S. State Department by then ambassador to Seoul John Muccio.

In the letter, the ambassador said American soldiers would shoot anyone approaching U.S. defense lines should they disregard warning shots. He said U.S. commanders feared disguised North Korean soldiers would sneak behind American lines huddled among the crowds of refugees. The letter indicates that the issue was also discussed at a high-level meeting in South Korea on July 25, 1950, the night before the Seventh U.S. Cavalry Regiment opened fire on refugees at No Gun Ri who were fleeing an onslaught of North Korean troops.

Korean survivors say about 400 were killed in the massacre, mostly women and children. The Pentagon has portrayed the incident as a tragedy rather than a deliberate massacre triggered by nervous soldiers who opened fire without orders.

Arirang News