Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXIX, Part 1, Korea

293. Telegram From the Embassy in Korea to the Department of State¹

Seoul, March 9, 1968, 0020Z.

4795. Subj: Eleventh Senior MAC Members Meeting at Panmunjom, March 9, 1968.

1. Meeting began at 1200 hrs March 9 and ended at 1253.²

2. RAdm Smith opened by reading statement contained State 125424.³ Apparently anticipating that Smith would reiterate our basic position, Pak responded after short interval with prepared statement which began by referring to fact that at previous meetings he had “already clearly” told Smith about “unwarrantedness of your side’s claim on the matter of crew of armed spy ship Pueblo.” This prepared statement contained much of language Pak used at past two meetings. In essence he said if US sticks to its position this will only create artificial difficulties, further complicate situation, and give no help in solving matter. If US really wants to solve problem of crew, it should not ask NKorea to return criminals for nothing but should accept just and reasonable NKorean proposal which will make it possible to have crew returned.

3. At mid-point of his statement Pak again implied that crew might be punished, saying in effect that if US sticks to its proposal NKorea can only conclude that US has neither concern about fate of crew nor intention to bear responsibility for them, in which case NKorea “would have no alternative but to take another step.”

4. RAdm Smith took this opportunity to use language from State 123157⁴ to effect that any trial, punishment or threat of punishment can only aggravate already serious situation. Pak asked for written copy of this statement, which was provided.

5. After pause of nineteen minutes, during which he carefully wrote and checked his reply, Pak made statement which in essence repeated language of his first statement, again describing US proposal as request for return of crew in exchange for “nothing” from US side.

6. Meeting ended with brief exchange devoted to Smith’s request that NKorean side carefully study US statements and to agreement that Pak would call next meeting.

7. Comment: Beyond Pak’s keen interest in obtaining written copy of Smith’s statement on implications of punishment of crew, meeting contained nothing noteworthy. Pak was restrained and reasonably cooperative, reading his own statements with effort to reflect air of conviction.

Porter

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 33–6 KOR N–US. Secret; Immediate;Nodis; Cactus.
2. Telegram 4797 from Seoul, March 9, transmitted the verbatim text of the meeting. (Ibid.)
3. In telegram 125424 to Seoul, March 6, Smith was instructed to restate the proposals submitted at the ninth meeting and request a North Korean response to them. (Ibid.)
4. Dated March 1. (Ibid.)