US Must Not Forget the Lesson of History

In the stirring period when the 70 million compatriots are dynamically conducting the national reunification movement upholding the slogan “Let Us Open Up a New Era of Independent Reunification, Peace and Prosperity by Concerted Efforts of Our Nation!”, we, seeing again the US armed spy ship “Pueblo”, hardly repress the burning indignation toward the US, today, 40 years after its capture.

The “Pueblo” is historical evidence that demonstrated throughout the world the victory of the DPRK in the showdown with the US for defending the sovereignty and dignity of the nation.

The US armed spy ship “Pueblo” intruded deep into the DPRK territorial waters to commit spy acts and seized by the valiant Korean navy force on January 23, 1968.

Facing the most shameful defeat in the US history that a US warship was captured by a foreign country, the White House ran amuck like a burnt calf.

Instead of admitting its criminal aggression act, the US committed aggression forces including the nuclear-powered aircraft-carrier “Enterprise” to the Korean East Sea off Wonsan and mobilized enormous aggression forces enough to carry out a full war near the Korean seas, clamoring for “retaliation if north Korea does not set free the ‘Pueblo’ at once”, unhesitating in military intimidation and blackmailing moves against the DPRK.

With the anxiety for a breakout of the third world war in Korea, hundreds of millions of humankind were closely watching the situation of Korea and conscientious people were grinding their teeth before the military intimidation and blackmailing of the White House against Korea.

However, the solemn declaration of President Kim Il Sung that the Korean people and People’s Army would retaliate for the “retaliation” of the US imperialists, return all-out war for all-out war, was a thunder and lighting that appalled the US imperialists and their followers, rendering an indefinite strength and courage to the progressives aspiring after independence.

President Kim Il Sung, the ever-victorious iron-willed brilliant commander, shattered once again the myth of the “mightiness” of US imperialism to smithereens in front of the whole world.

The US could not but write an apology in which it pledged itself not to invade the Korean territorial waters again, and kneel down.

The “Pueblo”, exhibited on the bank of the River Daedong where the monument to the sinking of the US pirate ship “Sherman” which was destroyed after invading Korea 140-odd years ago, attests that the history of the US aggression of Korea is very long and obstinate, and the US has suffered shameful defeat every time in the DPRK-US confrontation.

The “Pueblo” incident reminds all the fellow countrymen in the south, north and overseas of something valuable.

It is that for holding great President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il in high esteem, the Korean nation could reliably safeguard its sovereignty and dignity, and only anti-US independence is a true way of life.

The US imperialists must not forget the lesson of history given by both US armed ships “Sherman” and “Pueblo” on the bank of the River Daedong that faced only bitter defeat in their invasions of Korea.

If the US continues its hostile policy towards Korea and pursues its aggression moves against it, it will face a more disgraceful destruction by the strength of the KPA and the Korean people, thousand times stronger than it was 40 years ago.

The AINDF and the patriotic people in south Korea will more energetically wage the struggle to check and frustrate the aggressive joint military drills and the arms buildup in south Korea, dismantle the US military bases and expel the US troops from south Korea.

Zo Il Min,

Representative of the Pyongyang Mission of the AINDF

January 22 Juche 97(2008)