KOREAN CONFRONTATION CONTINUES UNRESOLVED
talks between Northand US representatives atappear to have made notoward resolving theover the Pueblo incident.
Pyongyang is clearly intent on prolonging tensions by dragging out negotiations. North Korean propaganda has concentrated on"confessions" by the Pueblo's crew. engthening parade of officers and crewmenhave expressed guilt and "apologized" for the ship'sinto North Korean waters.
The South Korean Government's initial dissatisfaction over US handling of the Pueblo incident soon broadened, with officialinto widespreadresentment. The South Koreans feared the Panmunjom talks were ignoring the raid on Seoul and were pushing South Korean national
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into the background. The press complained that thetalks undermined South Korean sovereignty and elevated thoof tho North Korean regime. Sow politicians urged diplomatic pressure to stop the "secret" talks and demanded unilateralaction against theNorth. The Nationalunanimously passed aprotestingorthtalks without South Korean participation.
Students have demonstrated at the US Embassy in Seoul, in Pusan, and near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Prior official hints that public agitation night lead to demonstrations suggest theprobably approved.
The South Korean leaders, realize the dangers to their own position if popular emotions get out of hand. They may also now believe that the lack ofat Panmunjom reduces thethe US might makethat would undercut Seoul. Thus, after officially protestingebruary, the government moved to damp down public indignation.
A high-level spokesman assured press representativesebruary that Proatdent Pak has in fact been fully informed on the talka and that the assassination attempt against him had been discussed at one meeting. The next day while speaking to the National Assembly, the foreign minister conceded that discussion of the Pueblo crewmen's release night be given priorityumanitarian point of view." This change in official position has been reflected in the shift of the Seoul pressore moderate stance.
Soviet military reaction to the Korean crisis is continuingow level. As US naval forces moved into the Sea of Japan, they were shadowed by two Soviet destroyers and an intelligence collection ship
task force of five more Soviet ae-stroyers was deployed in the Sea of Japan early this week in an after-the-fact show of force. Soviet naval aircraft have conducted severalthe US task force.
Soviot propaganda is playing the Pueblo incident in low key and Soviet officials have for tho most part been maintaining that the Pueblo intruded into territorial waters. Moscow continues to emphasize that directorth Korean meetingsthe best chance for resolving the issue. The most authoritativestatement on theravda "Observer* articleebruary, concluded by advising the US that if it reallyolution it should respect North Korea'sand stop "threatening" the.
Since China's officialof support onanuary, Peking propaganda has given only sparse and low-level coverage to the Pueblo
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