WWII Korean Prisoners at Honouliuli Camp Exposed in Study

A new study revealed that thousands of Koreans were imprisoned at the Honouliuli internment camp in Hawaii during World War II, despite the facility being widely recognized as a detention site for Japanese Americans. Researchers found that Koreans at the camp outnumbered Japanese American detainees by a ratio of seven to one.

According to Honolulu Civil Beat, which reported the findings on September 5, 2025, the research showed that out of more than 4,000 people confined at the camp on Oahu Island, about 2,700 were Korean. In contrast, only about 400 were Japanese Americans. The discovery came through a joint study by the Hawaii Korean Immigration Research Institute, led by Deok-Hee Lee, and the University of Hawaii, timed with the 10th anniversary of Honouliuli’s designation as a National Historic Site.

Deok-Hee Lee explained in an interview that “most were Koreans forcibly conscripted into the Japanese military who became prisoners of war while fighting the United States.” He added, “Some were also captured while working on sugar plantations run by Japanese operators.” Some of the Koreans transferred to the camp arrived with gunshot or stab wounds and showed evidence of abuse by Japanese soldiers. Records also documented that conflicts inside the camp grew so severe between Korean and Japanese detainees that administrators were forced to separate the groups.

Research into Korean prisoners at Honouliuli began in 2000, led by Deok-Hee Lee and the late Yong-Ho Choi, a University of Hawaii professor. Lee noted, “The fact that Korean prisoners of war were confined in Honouliuli has not been widely known to the public.” He added that ongoing work with Mary Yu Danico of the University of Hawaii’s Oral History Center involves gathering testimonies from descendants of former detainees. Meanwhile, the Japanese American community is pursuing a project to develop the site into a national park, with Lee also serving on the planning committee.

The findings have drawn strong reactions in Hawaii. David Suh, president of the Hawaii Korean Association (a Korean American community group), said, “I had no idea Koreans were imprisoned at Honouliuli during World War II.” Edward Schultz, former director of the University of Hawaii Center for Korean Studies, described the revelation as a “shocking fact.” The Honouliuli site is currently managed by the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]