From wharms@soback.kornet.nm.kr
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 04:38:07 -0900
From: Bill Harms 
To: moogoonghwa 
Subject: Submarine Infiltration incident

0920'96: Editorial; Northern Exposure 

A surprise naval intrusion by North Korean commandoes shocked the nation
this week _ or at least baffled it. In truth, large segments of the South's
population all but expect provocations of the sort for which Pyongyang has
earned worldwide infamy. Nevertheless, apart from its chilling underscoring
of the nature of the Stalinist garrison in the northern Korean Peninsula,
the incident brought home the very real threat of North Korean aggression to
those inclined to be either complacent or dismissive.  

A small submarine was spotted early Wednesday morning near the eastern
coastal shores of Kangnung. It was later discovered that the vessel, which
was crippled after it struck a rock, had carried about 20 North Korean
soldiers on an infiltration mission to the South. The band of intruders _
including crew members and special troops _ landed ashore and dispersed. 

Following a brief attempt to establish a toehold in the mountainous region,
while evading encounters with ROK Army and police forces, 11 died as a
result of an apparent suicide pact. Another insurgent was captured alive.
Subsequently, some of the rest were killed or arrested by troops deployed to
clean them out of the mountains yesterday. Further details will be
forthcoming when mopping-up operations are completed. 

The North Korean government has made a practice of defying our imaginations
by striking at the most unpredictable times and places. Its leaders have
thus proven themselves to be masters of duplicity and treachery. Therefore,
it's not surprising to learn that while Pyongyang extends an olive branch,
the technicians of its war machine are busy mounting terrorist acts and
military adventures. Its forked-tongue diplomacy was exposed on numerous
occasions while the two Koreas discussed possible cooperation in
successfully staging the l988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. 

In recent months, North Korea has gone all-out to demonstrate its contempt
for the Korean armistice agreement through shows of force inside the
Demilitarized Zone and the West Sea, blatant violations of the terms of the
truce. Pyongyang has also vigorously pursued diplomatic detente with the
United States and Japan, while not lifting a finger in response to an
overture for four-way talks focused on establishing a new formula for peace
on the Korean Peninsula. 

For all of its talk of ``self-reliance,'' Pyongyang is not one to demur when
confronted with offers to build light-water nuclear reactors that would
serve as the North's power supply. Still, it failed to fully comply with
inspection requirements laid down by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The North Korean government has continued to beg for (and receive) food aid
from various countries and international organizations though it shows few
signs of caring for the welfare of its own populace, diverting most of its
scanty resources to the military. 

Only last week, North Korea, in a bid for foreign investment, sponsored an
international forum in its Rajin-Sonbong free-trade zone. At the last
minute, Pyongyang limited the participation of South Korean businessmen and
officials, only to later indicate a willingness to invite South Koreans
separately. Nonetheless, since Pyongyang's intentions in this and other
matters seem unfathomable, the prospects of the event are in question. 

And now, North Korea has lunged forth, yet again, to stab its well-meaning
brother in the back. Perhaps, it can be taken as a sign of desperation that
Pyongyang has stooped to tactics of diversion or provocation to intensify
regimentation and mass mobilization within its borders. Whatever the case,
this latest infiltration by North Korean troops points up the need for
greater vigilance to keep our borders safe from future incursions. 

Hopefully, the North's message _ delivered, as always, like a mailed fist _
will rouse those among us who retain childish dreams of unconditional
unification with North Korea in the near future. While prepared to negotiate
with the North in as many ways as possible, our government must never lose
sight of Pyongyang's unaltered goal: the subversion and conquest of the
South. Those citizens who blindly subscribe to the cult of unification
and the North's ``juche'' ideology should take a deeper look at the
destructive and revolutionary aims of the totalitarian monolith. 






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