On January 23, 1968, the North Korean Navy seized a U.S. military ** in Japanese waters. The United States immediately claimed that North Korea had taken the initiative to provoke the incident and sent a US aircraft carrier carrying nuclear weapons into the Sea of Japan.
In the end, however, North Korea still held its own point, and the United States had to bow its head and admit its mistake.
Why did North Korea seize the US ** ship? Why did the U.S. shift from threats to negotiations? The end result? All of this stems from the endless temptation and friction of the United States against North Korea, and even after the Korean War has ended, the situation on the peninsula remains volatile.
In order to support South Korea, the United States has continuously strengthened its control over North Korea, frequently delivered first-class equipment and conducted military exercises, which has made North Korea nervous. On 11 January 1968, the US electronic reconnaissance ship "Pueblo" sailed out of Japan's port of Sasebo and headed for the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The Pueblo was cautious to avoid attracting the attention of the North Korean Navy when conducting reconnaissance missions in the Sea of Japan between 39 and 42 degrees north latitude. However, despite believing that they have been operating on the high seas all along, they have been intercepted by North Korea** and asked to be inspected.
Captain Lloyd insisted that they were on the international high seas and therefore refused to be inspected. However, the DPRK Navy did not accept this statement and began to attack the "Pueblo" **.
The crew immediately began to destroy the ship's intelligence and advanced equipment, but a significant amount of equipment still fell into the hands of the North Korean Navy. In the end, the "Pueblo" was captured, 4 of the more than 80 crew members were injured and 1 died.
What is the reaction of the United States to the detention of the "Pueblo" by the North Korean Navy? In the face of North Korea's move, the United States was helpless and turned its threat to negotiations. A US aircraft carrier carrying nuclear warheads sailed into the Sea of Japan, more than 300 planes circled over Wonsan, and the whole country of Korea entered a state of combat readiness.
But why did the United States choose to bow its head in the end? What's going on here? The "Pueblo" was captured, and the DPRK explained that it was in response to the intrusion of the US ** ship into territorial waters.
This made the ** in the White House very angry. The United States proposed three strategies: first, the US military attacked North Korea; 2. Let the DPRK give a clear explanation; 3. Retaliation for the capture of North Korean vessels.
However, does the United States have enough strength to open a second battlefield in Korea? Will the United States, which has invested a lot of manpower and material resources on the battlefield in Vietnam, be willing to shift this pressure to North Korea?
Does the United States, taking into account China and the Soviet Union behind North Korea, have doubts about the use of force to solve the problem? As a result, Johnson decided to use international law to protect the rights and interests of the United States.
The United States has stated that the "Pueblo" is sailing on the high seas, and that the DPRK's blatant detention of the ship is a flagrant violation of international law, and that the DPRK should return the ship, release its personnel, and apologize for the incident.
Diplomatically, the United States informed the Soviet Union and Japan and asked them to help resolve the crisis. In the international community, Johnson actively enlisted the support of other countries, put pressure on the Korean Armistice Commission, and proposed the matter to the United Nations to discuss the matter.
However, once the DPRK realizes that the US military is deeply involved in the Vietnam battlefield and it is difficult to get out, it will be impossible to return to the "Pueblo" at that time. Therefore, Johnson ordered: the US aircraft carrier "Enterprise" with nuclear warheads sailed into the Sea of Japan, two destroyers went to Wonsan Port to stand by, and 361 planes were on alert over the distant mountains.
At the same time, the country has extended the service period of military personnel and recruited young people to prepare for possible war.
The DPRK resolutely opposes the threat posed by the US aircraft carrier "Enterprise" to US diplomacy and openly accuses the USS Pueblo's invasion of the DPRK's territorial waters as an act of aggression by the United States.
The United Nations has no authority to deal with the matter, and the DPRK has already obtained the confession of the crew of the "Pueblo", who admitted to the violation of the territorial waters of the DPRK, which has become irrefutable evidence of the "Pueblo" invasion of the DPRK.
In the diplomatic field, the DPRK has actively contacted the Soviet Union, China, and other socialist countries to seek assistance and support, thus making clear the stand of the DPRK people. On the military front, the whole of Korea has entered a state of war mobilization, and the People's Army, Red Guards, and other armed forces are ready to deal with a possible war.
However, the atmosphere of war did not last long. The United States began to pay attention to the safety of the crew of the Pueblo, who would face serious threats if war broke out.
In fact, the North Vietnamese army's Tet Offensive left the U.S. military struggling to cope, and anti-war sentiment in the U.S. was growing stronger. In this case, the United States, through South Korea, expressed to the DPRK the hope that the Korean War Armistice Commission would resolve the issue of the crew of the "Pueblo".
The DPRK decided to take the initiative in the US-North Korea negotiations, freeing the crew of the "Pueblo" and demonstrating their high quality of life. The crew members were asked if they liked it here and often took pictures in the clean house.
After months of verbal bickering, the United States announced an apology, and the North Korean people finally won. However, will the DPRK return the Pueblo and what will happen to the returning crew?
North Korea freed American prisoners of war and tried to exchange benefits. Finally, what did the United States do to make the "Pueblo" one of the ships captured by the U.S. military to this day? Although it is a fact that the "Pueblo" invaded North Korea, in order to save face for the United States, North Korea sent doctors to ** the scars of the crew.
When the crew returned to the United States, they found that the court in their home country was also waiting for them. They were challenged again after a short period of time before being court-martialed.
After a five-month military trial, the US side had no choice but to blame the "Pueblo" crew case on an accident and not try anyone.
At the same time, the US Secretary of Defense reprimanded the US escort planes and fleet, and issued a general order criticizing the incident. Although the DPRK has not returned the Pueblo, the DPRK has been docking it on the banks of the Taedong River in Pyongyang to bring it closer to the United States.
However, due to differences between the two countries on nuclear and atomic technology and international human rights issues, the United States has not made the return of the "Pueblo" a priority. However, the "Pueblo" is still the only captured U.S. ship, and every time the Korean people celebrate their anniversaries, a grand event is held next to it.