Pictures From the Sky: Propaganda Leaflet Psyop During the Korean War

Abstract

This research examines illustrated propaganda leaflets designed by the military to influence the Communist enemy during the Korean War (1950–1953). The United States built a propaganda operation in an effort to counteract Communist ideology. This required military propagandists to design a leaflet campaign to reach the enemy by means of pictures and text. But skeptics demanded evidence that leaflet-based propaganda was effective; psyop staff responded by gathering documentation. Leaflet campaigns seemed to have had limited effect, however. Authors conclude that psyop staff found it challenging to design leaflets faced with an unclear mission, designers trained in irrelevant techniques of American advertising, anti-Asian bias, and weaknesses in measurements.