North Korea has recently marked the 40th Anniversary of the Pueblo Incident:
North Korea demanded the United States end its "hostile policy" toward the communist state Wednesday as Pyongyang marked the 40th anniversary of its seizure of a U.S. spy ship.
An unnamed spokesman for the "Korean National Peace Committee," one of Pyongyang’s propaganda organizations, called the incident "a product of the U.S. gangster-like policy of aggression against the DPRK in every aspect" in a statement issued on the eve of the anniversary. [Yonhap]
Of course if you want to read the real story about the Pueblo Incident you can read this ROK Drop posting here. I have consistently stated that I believe that any international agreement with North Korea should include the return of the only commissioned US naval vessel held by a hostile nation, the USS Pueblo. However, it appears the sacrifices of the brave men of the USS Pueblo are as forgotten now by our country’s leadership as they were in 1968.
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8:23 am on January 24th, 2008 1
GIKorea,
Thanks for keeping the fires burning on this important issue. I believe, as you do, that any agreement with north Korea should include the return of the USS Pueblo but being that the U.S. government hasn’t cared about it in 40 years, I don’t see it caring about it for another 40 years or so. Maybe when the country (north Korea) finally falls apart we can take it back then.
Tim in Angeles sendzzzzzzzzzzz
8:58 am on January 24th, 2008 2
2:06 pm on January 24th, 2008 3
In 1968 I was the cryptanylist assigned to North Korean Navy at the 177RRSOU in Pyung Teck Korea. The reports I have read do not agree with my experiance. There is a three hour time disprency between the reported criticom X mission and the time we recieved it in South Korea. It hit my desk at about 0730 for initialo contact, destruct of radio gear and incryption equipment was about 1130.
Robert T Pillips SP 5 98B020
503 975 4980
3:04 pm on January 26th, 2008 4
[...] POLICY:  I missed the 40th anniversary of the Pueblo Incident, but Richardson and GI Korea didn’t forget how a U.S. Navy ship became a must-see (literally, as in “or [...]
1:37 am on January 27th, 2008 5
Absolutely right, and you know it’s right because you have in-country Korean experience. To people back in Washington, the KJI regime is to be approached rationally, as if they were westerners. If you look at how NK operates, attention to symbolism is paramount in how they approach any situation. The Clinton administration’s ignorance of how Asians see things hurt American in two ways when it sent Maddy Albright to Pyongyang : first, in Asia the less powerful visit the powerful - thus the immediate NK spin to its own citizens that her visit represented American bowing down to them, believed also by South Koreans. And frankly, isn’t it true? Secondly, Albright was the worst possible choice for a visit to North Korea for visually/culturally obvious reasons. She’s a hideously ugly woman. The North Korean propaganda machine must have been elated to learn that they could show pics of the wizened, semi-human-like visage of Albright to their citizens. Bitch about the theoretical unfairness of my analysis all you want - fact is, in Asia, things like this matter.
The US would be better off to recognize and play the power symbolism has in this region - NK knows it all too well. I think some of the disrespect SKoreans feel towards the US comes from decades of ‘pragmatic’ policies towards NK. The 1976 axe murder incident illustrates this perfectly : America has convinced itself it stood up to NK when in fact it was utterly humbled by it.
The best thing an American president could do in the next semi-tense times with North Korea (they always come) would be to slam a cruise missile or two onto the humiliated Pueblo. It would send an ice spike of fear down the NK power structure, and even better it would be to Asian minds a legitimate target.
6:56 am on January 27th, 2008 6
I think we should send some Seals in and rig that ship with explosives
You know to let the NKs know what we really can do to them
7:47 am on January 27th, 2008 7
Kingkitty,
I like the idea you put forth and set it to explode in broad daylight so that it makes the most impact, hopefully while a tour is going on. Hehehehehe
Tim in Angeles sendzzzzzzzzzz
6:24 pm on April 14th, 2008 8
[...] ROK Drop posting [...]