The National Defense Corps Incident (Korean: 국민방위군 사건, Hanja: 國民防衛軍事件) was a death march that occurred in the winter of 1951 during the Korean War.
On 11 December 1950, the act of National Defense Corps was issued. 17 to 40 year old South Korean citizens, except for military, police and government officials, were inducted into the National Defense Corps.[1][2] Rhee Syngman government adopted officers from Great Korean Youth Association (대한청년단; 大韓靑年團), which was a pro-Rhee Syngman group, into the Corps.[citation needed]
Immediately, National Defense Corps soldiers were ordered to march southward on Korean peninsula under the Chinese offensive. However, funds for food purchases was embezzled by National Defense Corps Commander Kim Yungun (Kim Yun Keun) (Kim Yoon Keun), son-in-law of Defence minister Shin Sung-mo.[3] Approximately 300,000 men were lost to death or desertion during the three week, 300-mile "death march".[4] By June 1951, when an investigating committee made known its findings, it was reported that some 50,000[5] to 90,000 soldiers starved to death or died of disease on the march and in the training camps.[3][2][6][verification needed]
On 30 April 1951, National Assembly of South Korea adopted a resolution on disbandment of the National Defense Corps.[1] The National Assembly investigation showed that the commanding officers embezzled one billion won, and tens of millions won which was misappropriated to President Rhee Syngman's political money.[5] In May, vice-president Yi Si-yeong resigned. In June, it was reported that five billion won in funds for the National Defense Corps had been embezzled.[7] On 12 August, five commanding officers were executed as persons in charge of the incident.[1][8]
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