[Opinion] The Pueblo

˝There is a Korean saying that a mad dog is barking at the moon, and watching you reminds me of the old saying.˝ 35 years ago today on January 24 1968, the chief North Korean negotiator said during a meeting at the truce village of Panmunjeom. The North delegation was meeting with their U.S. counterparts in the wake of the naval incident a day ago, in which North Korea seized the Pueblo, a U.S. intelligence vessel, on the international waters. Lee Mun-hang, who was at the scene as a military officer working for U.S. Department of Defense, later recollected how tense the mood surrounding the Korean Peninsula in his memoir.

▷For North Koreans, the incident was a symbol of the country`s great victory over American. imperialists. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il himself later in 1999 ordered the military to relocate the ship stored in Wonsan Port to Daedong River near Pyongyang. And Chosun Central News Agency reported yesterday that some 400,000 North Koreans and 7,000 foreigners have so far looked around the imperialist ship. In October last year ahead of the scheduled visit by U.S. special envoy James Kelly, it was once again removed to Nompo Port. North Koreans might have thought that they did not have to get the nerves of the U.S. as they sought to resume North Korean-U.S. talks.

▷For Americans, the Pueblo incident was one of the most humiliated international relations fiascos. Not only it was the first time ever that a U.S. warship was seized by a foreign country, but also they had to go through insult repeatedly over the course of arranging the release of the crew of the ship. They, in fact, held 28 private discussions with North Korea for 11 months before having them back. And a senator from Colorado in April last year proposed a statement calling for a return of the ship (Pueblo is also a name of city in Colorado). Americans must still have the wounded pride in their hearts given that Donald Greg, former U.S. ambassador to Korea, talked about the return of the ship during his visit to Pyongyang in November last year.

▷Then the Pueblo may serve as a barometer that indicates where the North Korean-U.S. relationship now stands. Americans apparently seem to mind about the ship being a mockery for those visiting North Korea. North Koreans, for their part, will play the Pueblo card in return for something equally rewarding when the time is right. The day the ship is sent back to its mother country, the two countries will make their first step towards building a new relationship. Yet, the day just seems so far away for now. To begin with, they need to meet half way on the issue of the North`s nuclear program.

Song Moon-hong, Editorial Writer, songmh@donga.com