THE WAR - 1953

The Armistice Signed

One factor in the continuing stalemate was the inevitable transfer of power in the United States. Josef Stalin, head of the Communist power structure, could see the advantage of stalemated negotiations. He would patiently wait for the American presidential elections of November 1952. In January 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the new head of the United Nations power structure moved into the White House. Before Stalin could fully test the political savvy of the new President, the Soviet leader suffered a brain hemorrhage and died suddenly on March 5, 1953. With the change in power structure on both sides of the table, the negotiations seem to speed toward a conclusion. Just four and a half months later, on July 27, 1953, the armistice was signed.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMMANDER-CHIEF, UNITED NATIONS COMMAND, ON THE ONE HAND, AND THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE KOREAN PEOPLE'S ARMY AND THE COMMANDER OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S VOLUNTEERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, CONCERNING A MILITARY ARMISTICE IN KOREA.

PREAMBLE

The undersigned, the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, on the one hand, and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and the Commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers, on the other hand, in the interest of stopping the Korean conflict, with its great toll of suffering and bloodshed on both sides, and with the objective of establishing an armistice which will insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved, do individually, collectively, and mutually agree to accept and to be bound and governed by the conditions and terms of armistice set forth in the following Articles and Paragraphs, which said conditions and terms are intended to be purely military in character and to pertain solely to the belligerents in Korea.

Article I
Military Demarcation Line and Demilitarized Zone

Article II
Concrete Arrangements for Cease-Fire and Armistice
A. General
B. Military Armistice Commission
C. Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission

Article III
Arrangements relating to prisoners of war.

Article IV
Recommendation to the governments concerned on both sides.

Article V
Miscellaneous

Done at Panmunjom, Korea, at 1000 hours on the 27th day of July, 1953, in English, Korean, and Chinese, all tests being equally authentic. In addition to these articles, the annex, terms of reference for Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC), is attached. These terms are concerned primarily with the opportunity of prisoners of war to exercise their right to be repatriated following the armistice. Appointees from Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia and India made up the NNRC, and oversaw issues dealing with the custody, disposition and logistical support of prisoners including essential Red Cross visitation, and free press coverage.

Twelve hours after the armistice is signed, a cease-fire is declared, not peace. The war is not over. To this day, thousands of American soldiers are stationed along the tenuous demilitarized zone (DMZ). July 27, 2003, will mark the 50th anniversary of the cease-fire. How much longer will they be there?