The relationship between “North and South Korea” has evolved drastically past months from “complete hostility to strong cooperation”.
At this juncture, it is important to note that India did play a vital role in effectuating the “Armistice Agreement, 1953”, that ended the Korean War.
What is the historic context?
The beginning of the cold war saw the Soviet dispensation backing a communist regime in Korean peninsula’s Northern region.
But the US faction was backing a liberal government that eventually took control of the southern part of the peninsula.
The inter-Korean war lasted for three years between 1950 and 1953, which was a proxy war between USSR and the US.
Although a truce was reached in 1953 through the “Armistice Agreement”, both Korean regimes never officially ended the war till recently.
The agreement divided the Korean peninsula into two along the 38th Parallel (latitude) and also provided for neutral international peace patrol.
What was India’s Role?
India under Nehru was actively involved in negotiating peace in the Korean peninsula by engaging all the major stakeholders – US, USSR and China.
Diplomacy - In late 1952, the Indian resolution on Korea was adopted at the UN with unanimous non-Soviet support.
But India rightly recognized any deal without the Soviets will fail and immediately flung into action to get them on board, which happened in 1953.
Ultimately, despite the rough international political climate, India succeeded in building consensus – which precipitated in the “Armistice Agreement”.
Effectuation - One of the follow-up actions to the Armistice Agreement was the establishment of a Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC).
NNRC was to decide on the fate of over 20,000 prisoners of war from both sides and India was chosen as the Chair of the NNRC.
NNRC also had “Poland and Czechoslovakia” representing the Communist bloc, and “Sweden and Switzerland” represented the Western world.
A UN Command led by an Englishman and a Custodian Force from India (headed by Lt.Gen Thimayya) was also deployed in the inter-Korean border.
NNRC’s tenure ended in early 1954, and the Indian forces were praised internationally for executing the tough stabilising operations successfully.
Indian Abode - At the end of its work, the NNRC was left with over 80 prisoners of war who didn’t want to go to either of the Koreas.
As an interim arrangement, Nehru decided to grant them abode in India until the UN directive on their request is pronounced.
Although most settled in foreign destination like Latin America, some did stay back in India and lived their entire lives here.
