It was often used as a propaganda campaign[4] by China and North Korea to encourage more UN soldiers to surrender.
[6] They were representative of all the prison camps in North Korea [citation needed] and competed in American football, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, track and field, soccer, gymnastics, and boxing.
They also acted as photographers, announcers and even reporters, who after each day's competition published a newsletter, the Olympic Roundup.
[6] The Olympics featured frequently in North Korean psychological warfare (PSYWAR) pamphlets and leaflets distributed to UN soldiers.
[8][9] The 1952 Olympics allowed Communist forces to point to the good conditions available to those who surrendered.