THE PUEBLO CASE HANGS FIRE

Created: 2/16/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

progress is visible in the Pueblo case although bilat-cral talks at Panmunjom are.

sisted that the North Koreans do not want war, but warned the US would get "only corpses" if it tried to solve the case through "threat and blackmail."

the celebration of the "Korean People's Army' -iOnf. Anniversary in Pyongyang Premier Kin Il-song accused the Pueblogangster-like, piratic act which proved that "US maneuver-ings" ew Korean war hadgrave stage." n-

Pyongyangecond, more detailedby Pueblo captain Bucher and published four photos ofUS docurar.frs which place the vessel in North Koreanwaters on six occasions

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Despite Pyongyang's charges of an armed incursion this week, the level of incidents along the DM2 has been low. Pressure for some action against the northhigh in Seoul, however.

South Korean officialssomewhat from last week's charges of US "appeasement" of North Korea. In talks with Cyrus Vance, President PaX seeded to be out to use South Koreanover US handling ofblo incident to extract the maximum military aid and political concessions from Washington. Seoul has been dissatisfied with

the rate of modernization of South Korean forces end South Korea's lack of voice in UN Com-nand decisions. Initi al south Korean reactions to the Vance mission reveal somewith the outcome andthat Seoul will continue to seek additional us commitments.

Soviet Party Secretary Pono-narev visited Pyongyangndebruary following his visit to Tokyo where he and politburo member Suslov had hold talks with the Japanese Communist Party. Ponomarev probably used theto brief tho North Koreans on the upcoming internationalconsultative meeting in Budapest and to test tho present mood in Pyongyang in light of the Pueblo affair. North Korea has long opposed such an international Communist meeting ana aoes not plan toelegation. Pono-marev's visit, thoughesture of Moscow's 'fraternal" solidarity with North Korea,no indication that thehad departed from their policy of minimal Involvement in the Pueblo issue.

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