Korean OSS (CIA Korean Desk) during WWII
During the dark final years of World War II, a remarkable but little-known plan took shape within the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) — the predecessor of the CIA. It was called the NAPKO Project, a daring mission designed to infiltrate Japanese-occupied Korea with specially trained Korean agents. Their goal: to gather intelligence, sabotage enemy operations, and mobilize Korea’s underground independence movement for the liberation of their homeland.
The Hidden Recruits of Wisconsin
The story began in a prisoner-of-war camp in Wisconsin, where Korean-born soldiers conscripted into the Japanese Imperial Army were being held. Among them, OSS operative Chang Suk-yoon, disguised as a captured Japanese soldier from the Philippines, secretly searched for potential recruits. Over 40 days, he carefully observed about 100 Korean POWs — studying their loyalty, intelligence, and physical resilience.
From this group, he handpicked just three — the best of the best — who possessed not only strength but an unshakable devotion to Korea’s future freedom.
From Burma to California: The Making of Korea’s Elite OSS Agents
Later, the OSS recruited three Korean student-soldiers who had escaped from the Burma frontlines, as well as Korean Americans living in California. Training took place at Santa Catalina Island, California, where 19 Korean operatives were selected and trained in parachuting, sabotage, underwater demolition, and intelligence tradecraft — among the most elite of the OSS ranks.
Their names are now part of history’s quiet roster of courage: Chang Suk-yoon; Park Ki-byeok; Lee Tae-mo;
Lee Cho; Choi Chang-soo; Yoo Il-han (Dr. Ilhan New); Choi Jin-ha; Lee Geun-sung; Byun Il-seo; Kim Kang; Byun Joon-ho; Cha Jin-joo; Ha Moon-deok; Park Soon-dong; Lee Jong-sil; Park Hyung-moo; Kim Pil-young; Kim Hyun-il; Lee Jong-heung
A Mission Stopped by the End of War
The D-Day for the NAPKO Project was set for August 15, 1945. Their mission was to be launched into Korea’s coastal regions to gather intelligence, assassinate enemy leaders, and rally independence fighters. But just three days before deployment, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war.
Japan’s sudden surrender abruptly terminated the mission.
The 19 operatives, waiting on Catalina Island, were quietly dismissed. To avoid violating the Geneva Convention’s rules against using POWs in combat, those originally recruited from camps were sent to Hawaii under OSS custody and later repatriated.
The top-secret plan remained hidden for more than 30 years. Only decades later did the truth emerge — revealing the courage, secrecy, and devotion of these unsung patriots.
The Burden of Silence
For many of these men, the price of loyalty was silence. Bound by their OSS secrecy oath, they never spoke a word of their training or mission, even to their families. Their children often remembered them as strict, distant fathers — never knowing the heavy secret they carried for the sake of national security.
One descendant, Yoo Il-ling, granddaughter of agent Dr. Yoo Il-han, recalled in a 2017 interview:
“When I found out my grandfather was trained by the OSS, I was shocked.
He had never mentioned a single word.
He had sworn an oath of secrecy — and he kept it, even after the war.
The amazing thing is, all of them did.”
In time, when these descendants learned the truth and received posthumous honors for their fathers’ independence service, they wept — realizing that their fathers’ sternness had come from the weight of a sacred mission they could never share.
The Patriot, Entrepreneur, and Servant: Dr. Yoo Ilhan
Among the 19 was Dr. Yoo Ilhan (1895–1971) — a name revered today as the founder of Yuhan Corporation, Korea’s first major pharmaceutical company. Born in Pyongyang, Yoo emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, earning degrees from the University of Michigan, USC, and Stanford Law School.
Though a successful businessman and philanthropist, he never forgot his homeland. In 1942, while stranded in the U.S. due to the Pacific War, Yoo volunteered for the OSS and became a Korea desk representative. His code name was “A”, and he used his business networks to support covert operations — fully aware that discovery could destroy his company and endanger his life.
After the war, Dr. Yoo returned to his first calling — nation building through industry, education, and faith. In 1926, he had founded Yuhan Yanghaeng, not for profit, but to provide medicine for the poor of Joseon. He lived modestly, gave generously, and structured his company so its profits would serve the people of Korea. A devout Christian, he modeled his life on the teachings of Jesus — humble, sacrificial, and nation-centered.
Dr. Yoo once said:
“Country, education, company, and home — it is hard to put them in order.
But if I must, I will say:
Country first, education second, company third, and family last.”
Though he could have lived as one of the wealthiest men in Asia, he chose a life of service. He passed on not riches, but a legacy of faith, patriotism, and integrity.
Legacy of the Silent Patriots
The NAPKO Project remains one of history’s most poignant untold stories — a mission born in secrecy, sustained by courage, and ended before it began. Yet its legacy endures through the lives of those who carried the burden of silence and love for a country they could not yet see free.
These 19 men stood between two nations, two wars, and two futures. They dreamed of a free Korea and believed that even a hidden life of sacrifice was worth the cost of freedom.
Their story reminds us that true patriotism is not always loud — sometimes, it is found in quiet obedience, secret service, and a heart that whispers, “For my country, for my God, I will give all.”
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