Geoje Island was the South Korean island that hosted the large Geoje, or Koje-do, prisoner-of-war camp during the Korean War. The United Nations Command used the island to hold North Korean and Chinese prisoners captured by UN forces.
The camp expanded rapidly after the UN counteroffensive and the capture of large numbers of prisoners in late 1950. By early 1951, tens of thousands had been moved from the mainland to Geoje. The camp eventually became the largest of the United Nations Command’s Korean War prisoner facilities, despite severe problems with overcrowding, water, security, and political tension inside the compounds.
Geoje became especially notorious during the 1952 Geoje uprising. Pro- and anti-Communist prisoners fought for control of compounds, and Brigadier General Francis T. Dodd, the camp commander, was taken hostage before U.S. forces retook control. The crisis reflected the wider dispute over voluntary repatriation in the armistice negotiations.
The camp closed after the 1953 armistice. A memorial park now preserves reconstructed barracks and exhibits on the camp’s history.