REACTION TO THE RELEASE OF THE PUEBLO CREW

Created: 12/27/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Reaction to the Release of the Pueblo Crew

North Koreans have, as anticipated, given heavyplay to the US "apology" for the Pueblo incident,itajor victory of the Korean people over "US ecember, the day the crew was released, Pyongyang' made five separate broadcasts on the subject, including alleged new statements by the crewexpressing thanks for their "humanitarian" treatment during detention. The propaganda dram-fire has continued in succeeding days, with little or no variation in content.

The major theme in all the North Korean broadcasts ia that theas forced to "kneel to the Korean people in front of thend that the Pueblois further proofetermined small nation cana "mightyresent "humiliation" of the US is being compared to the "abject surrender" of United Nations Command forces at Panmunjom Pyongyang has not dealt directly with the US repudiation of the apology document and has maintained that the ship will not be returned.

So far commentary by other Communist countries has been predictable. The Soviet Union and the Eastern Europeansthe North Koreen version of the incident. East Germany and Bulgaria charged that the US breached internationalof diplomacy by repudiating its signature. Yugoslavia inter-

preted US signature of the apology as another signew US* policy of relaxing tensions in Asia. Communist China has not comnented.

In South Korea, the foreign minister issued an officialexpressing sympathy for the crew and mild approval of the US action securing their release. Initial South Korean publichas been generallyof the US and probably more closely reflects true South Korean feelings. Somehave characterized the US apology as "humiliating" and as contradicting previous US posi_r_

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newspapers, quoting

sources, have taken the US to task for signing the apology, calling the action "tantamountreach of faith" with South Korea and indicativelow US posture toward Northpokesmen for both majorparties have generally echoed press reaction.

TOI ,-

Page 8 WEEKLY REVIEW

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