Microsite: Psywar Leaflets from the Korean War
Less than five years after the end of World War II, on 25 June 1950, the North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th Parallel into South Korea, starting the Korean War. Woefully unprepared, the U.S and its United Nations (UN) allies scrambled to defend the Republic of Korea. One of the U.S. Army’s shortcomings since the end of WWII was psychological warfare (psywar).
In June 1950, the Tactical Information Detachment, at Fort Riley, KS, was the only psywar unit on active duty. Three months later, it deployed to Korea and was re-designated as the 1st Loudspeaker and Leaflet (L&L) Company. Aided by the Psywar Division, G-3, Eighth U.S. Army, the 1st L&L provided tactical psywar support to combat units across the peninsula. Joining the 1st L&L a year later was the 1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet (RB&L) Group, a strategic psywar asset of the UN Command and the Far East Command.
Between June 28, 1950 and July 27, 1953, theater psywar elements produced and disseminated some 2.2 billion leaflets, promoting the surrender of thousands of North Korean and Chinese Communist troops.
This microsite was created to showcase the 1st RB&L Group leaflets, each with a brief explanation of its design and purpose.
Link: https://arsof-history.org/articles/19dec_1st_rbl_leaflet_collection_page_1.html
