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North Korean Military Adventurism

This collection of documents provides a historical record of North Korea's brinkmanship and military-diplomatic campaigns since 1968, including the seizure of the USS Pueblo, attempted assassinations of President Park Chung Hee, and the murder of two U.S. Army officers in the axe murder incident.

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January 24, 1968

Telegram from Pyongyang to Bucharest, TOP SECRET, No. 76.013, Flash

The Embassy of Romania in the DPRK reports on the response of the North Korean press to the Blue House Raid and announces that an American ship, the USS Pueblo, has been captured by the North Koreans near Wonsan.

April 9, 1968

Excerpt from Leonid Brezhnev’s Speech at the April (1968) CC CPSU Plenum, "On the Current Problems of the International Situation and on the Struggle of the CPSU for the Unity of the International Communist Movement"

Brezhnev describes the recent development of the Pueblo Incident, which includes the increase in US military deployment to the East and intentions of DPRK and USSR to strengthen ties.

August 31, 1976

Report on the ‘Axe Murder Incident’ from the GDR Embassy in North Korea

Report on the killing of two American officers in the Joint Security Area. Ambassador Steinhofer states that this incident is a testimony of the tense situation that exists between the two sides and he provides an analysis of what the implications of this incident are.

January 22, 1968

Telegram from Pyongyang to Bucharest, TOP SECRET, No. 76.012, Urgent

The Embassy of Romania in the DPRK offers an initial assessment of the Blue House Raid based upon broadcasts from a Seoul radio station and speculates how North Korea will respond to allegations that it dispatched commandos into South Korea.

February 16, 1968

Telegram from Pyongyang to Bucharest, TOP SECRET, No. 76.044, Regular

The Embassy of Romania in the DPRK reports on Vietnam's frustration with North Korea following the seizure of the USS Pueblo.
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