KOREA KATE
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Normal human (early 1950s era)
Occupation: Prisoner;
formerly Communist propaganda broadcaster
Group Membership: None (probably Communist
Party)
Affiliations: North Korean military
Enemies: US military (notably Sgt. Terry Granger, "Combat" Kelly, "Cookie" Novak), Muktong Mollie, General Olga, Panther Lady, Luki Rhee, Yalu River Rosie
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Korea Katie
Base of Operations: South Korea
First Appearance: Battlefront#15/2 (January,
1954)
Powers/Abilities: Korea Kate had a good level
of authority in the Communist military, and used propaganda to dissuade
Americans of their military efforts in Korea. She was arrogant and
sometimes relied on torture.
Always well groomed, she had an excessively thin waist.
Height: 5'3"
(by approximation)
Weight: 120 lbs. (by
approximation)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
History:
(Battlefront#15/2 (fb) - BTS) - The woman nicknamed
"Korea Kate" by US troops (a name she embraced) broadcast demoralizing
news reports in
English via a portable but powerful radio transmitter mounted on a
truck near frontlines during the Korean War. She followed her speeches
with American songs intended to keep
US soldiers listening. She was monitored by
US command, who could not stop her broadcasts; she instead proved a
topic
of conversation for soldiers. However, her broadcasts often steeled
American soldiers to fight harder out of defiance.
(Combat Kelly I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - US soldiers Combat Kelly and pal Cookie Novak caused trouble for Korea Kate with their enthusiastic fighting of Communist forces.
(Battlefront#15/2) - During one broadcast, she warned listeners of expected difficulties tackling the fortified Triangle Hill, held by Communist forces. US army soldier, Sgt. Terry Granger, part of UN forces in Korea, found Korea Kate had been accurate about Triangle Hill. During a lull in fighting, he and two other American soldiers were captured and brought to Korea Kate. She threatened their death if they did not go on air and claim good treatment as prisoners, but the shackled captives refused. She slapped one and ordered they be starved for 48 hours to gain compliance. But a local boy, smuggler Luki Rhee, secretly passed food and guns to the Americans to escape. While Korea Kate was in the transmitting truck alone, Rhee broke in and held a gun to keep her quiet while the American soldiers stole the truck to escape. It was only back at the US base that the soldiers realized they had snared Korea Kate and she was taken away under guard. The American soldiers were set to receive a commendation for her capture.
(Combat Kelly I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - With an apparent
armistice in effect, various prisoners were released. Korea Kate (now
dubbing herself Korea Katie) made her way to freedom and sought revenge
on Combat Kelly.
(Combat Kelly I#24/2) - Armed with a handgun, Korea
Katie tracked down Combat Kelly and Cookie, who had both been taken
captive and were about to be burnt alive by fellow Korean insurgent
Yalu River Rosie. Rosie protested but was dismissed by Katie, who took
the still-bound captives away to hang by their necks from a tree. But
another Communist guerrilla, Muktong Mollie, stopped the execution. In
turn, Mollie forcefully took the US soldiers away in a combat car while
Katie swore abuse at Mollie. Korea Katie, alongside fellow Communist
female spies, Panther Lady, Yalu River Rosie and Muktong Mollie (all
pursuing Kelly and Cookie), tracked down the soldiers, who were about
to be painfully killed by the vengeful Communist General Olga. The five
women then attacked each other in a vicious hand-fight, each seeking to
claim the soldiers. Kelly and Cookie untied themselves and collected
the weapons, watching the women fight. All five female Communists were
then presumably marched back to internment.
Comments: Created by uncredited writer and Art Peddy (pencils & inks).
Her final fate is unrevealed; was she eventually released into South Korea or was she part of a prisoner exchange...?
In the first story, US soldiers compared her to Axis Sally or Tokyo Rose, referring to (real-life) female Axis propaganda broadcasters assigned to demoralize Allied troops during World War II.
"Luki Rhee" may be a racist interpretation of stereotyped language (common in old war comics, rife with ethnocentrism); his name may have been 'Lucky' Lee (phonetically "luckily").
Thanks to John Holstein for noting her Combat Kelly appearance.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Korea Kate has no known connections to:
Before attacking Triangle Hill, a heavily fortified
hill held by North Korean Communists, Sgt. Terry Granger heard one of
Korea Kate's broadcasts, wondering where she was transmitting from.
Later, alongside fellow US soldiers, Granger waited out an artillery
raid before charging futilely at Triangle Hill. During a lull in
gunfire, he discussed the propaganda broadcaster with two fellow
infantry men, but was captured by stealthy Communist soldiers. He was
brought before Korea Kate and saw her truck-mounted transmitter, but
she wanted the US soldiers to tell radio listeners of good
treatment as prisoners, but they refused. She ordered them starved for
48 hours to make them compliant, but instead the three US soldiers were
helped out by local boy Luki Rhee, who secretly smuggled them food and
later guns to escape. Granger and his men fled, shot at guards, then
stole the transmitter truck to escape. Back at camp, he reported to
Col. Adams and discovered Rhee holding Korea Kate at gunpoint in the
back of the truck. Granger and his men "adopted" Rhee as their camp
mascot and expected a commendation for Korea Kate's capture.
--Battlefront#15/2
Local Korean boy Luki Rhee helped US forces by
smuggling supplies. He found out about Sgt. Granger and two other US
soldiers being held captive by Korea Kate and secretly brought the
starving prisoners provisions. Later, he brought stolen weapons to help
them escape, but kept a handgun for himself. Finding Korea Kate in the
back of her transmitting truck, Rhee used his gun to keep her quiet
while the US soldiers drove it back to their camp. There, the
commander, Col. Adams, left Rhee in the care of the US soldiers, who
"adopted" him as a mascot, dressing him in an oversized uniform for
their
amusement.
--Battlefront#15/2
images:
(without ads)
Battlefront#15/2, p3, pan2 (main image)
p5, pan6 (headshot)
p3, pan1 (Granger)
p4, pan3 (Rhee, civvies)
p5, pan7 (Rhee, G.I. clothes)
Appearances:
Battlefront#15/2 (January, 1954) - uncredited writer, Art Peddy
(pencils & inks), uncredited editor
Combat Kelly I#24/2 (September, 1954) - uncredited writer, Dave Berg
(pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 06/24/18
Last updated: 09/17/18
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™
and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com.
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix!