When was the Armistice Agreement signed which ended the fighting in the Korean War ?
The agreement stated that “ Within sixty ( 60 ) days after this agreement becomes effective each side shall , without offering any hindrance , directly repatriate and hand over in groups all those prisoners of war in its custody who insist on repatriation to the side to which they belonged at the time of capture . ” Ultimately , more than 22,000 North Korean or Chinese soldiers refused repatriation .