What did the declassified documents reveal?

This episode presents a declassified United States Army memorandum concerning Chinese and North Korean truce negotiating positions, dated July eleventh, nineteen fifty‑one. The document is notable because it contains an intercepted North Korean message that outlines proposed cease‑fire terms and a withdrawal plan for forces along the thirty‑eighth parallel. The memorandum was released to the public through The Black Vault archive. The file appears in the Black Vault collection under the identifier CI00773 and was made available as a digitized text file on the archive.org platform. The declassification authority is the Department of the Army, Office of the Director, which authorized the release of the material for public access. The document reads as follows. TS number six two one nine zero. STR (cook sLg> Washington, District of Columbia, Office of the Director, eleven, nineteen fifty‑one. MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Attached intercept from Nam Il, / S, North Korean Army, apparently to Supreme Headquarters in Pyongyang, while obviously for morale and propaganda purposes, is labeled “Lee am Walter B. Smith, Director.” The following message of interest was intercepted on twenty‑fifth of July, nineteen fifty‑one, from COB, believed to be the North Korean representative at Kaesong, sent to COM, believed to be Supreme Headquarters at Pyongyang, and addressed to “Commander in Chief.” The text of the message, which was sent in the clear, reads as follows: “By the requirements and the hopes of Kim Il Song, Commander in Chief, Paeng Dok Hee, Commander of the Chinese Volunteer Corps, all Koreans, Chinese and the people of the whole world, we agreed to hold a meeting as the representatives of the North Korean Army. All Korean people have wanted and still want to end the war as soon as possible; therefore on the twenty‑third of June, Malik, USSR Representative to the United Nations, has proposed that both of the armed forces should withdraw from the thirty‑eighth parallel and take the cessation; and we are strongly agreeing to this. The best method to stop the Korean War is that both armies should withdraw from the thirty‑eighth parallel and take cessation of arms. We believe that if the foreign armies should withdraw from Korea the Korean War will never happen again; therefore we are to settle this important problem. Therefore I am preparing, as a representative of the North Korean Army, as follows: Item one: After agreement between us, both of the forces should cease all kinds of military actions. The armies should stop the advancement, the attack and the reconnaissance against the enemy. The navy should stop the shooting, the blockade and the reconnaissance against the enemy. Both air forces should stop the bombing and reconnaissance against the enemy. The both countries’ cessation of arms will not only decrease the deaths of the people and the destruction of property, but will also be the first step of the exclusion of the Korean War. Item two: The…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

United States Army Memorandum Concerning Chinese And North Korean Truce

◆ BLUF — The short version

This episode presents a declassified United States Army memorandum concerning Chinese and North Korean truce negotiating positions, dated July eleventh, nineteen fifty‑one. The document is notable because it contains an intercepted North Korean message that outlines proposed cease‑fire terms and a withdrawal plan for forces along the thirty‑eighth parallel.

Date: OCT 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was United States Army Memorandum Concerning Chinese And North Korean Truce about?: This episode presents a declassified United States Army memorandum concerning Chinese and North Korean truce negotiating positions, dated July eleventh, nineteen fifty‑one. The document is notable because it contains an intercepted North Korean message that outlines proposed cease‑fire terms and a withdrawal plan for forces along the thirty‑eighth parallel.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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