COMMUNIST MEDIA TREATMENT OF KOREAN SITUATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-267-4-13-7
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: November 24, 2009
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: August 21, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/11/24: LOC-HAK-267-4-13-7
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FBIS: 137 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
ANALYSTS NOTE AG/WA
COMMUNIST MEDIA TREATMENT OF KOREA0 SITUATION
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AUTHORITATIVE MIK MEDIA COMMENT ON 21 AUGUST, tS WEIA AS TRW:
INITIAL -PYONGYANG MEDIA REACTION TO THE U.S. FORCES REMOVAL OF THL
IMPUTED TREE IN IME JOINT SECURITY AREA (JSA) EfRLY ON'THL 21ST,
SEEM TO SUGGEST THAT PYONGYANG IS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH AVOIDING
A FURTRER ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION.
TRE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING PEACE IN KOREA WAS STRESSED IR A
ALMST NODONG SINMUN EDITORIAL WHICH PROVIDED matiayrive?s MOST
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE INITIM INCIDENT
AT PANMUNJON IN THE JSA ON THE ISM. 1HERE HAS, tS YET, BIEN NO
OFF/CIA. NORTH KOREAN RESPONSE TO THE U.S. ACTION TN THE JSA ON THE
21ST. PYONGYANG MEDIA'S FIRST MONITORED REACTION TO THE ACTION
A DOMESTIC RADIO NEWS REPORT AT 0$00 GMT---.SOME 10 HOURS PETER
THE EVENT.--DESCRIBING IT AS t 11.S. ATTEMPT TO "MAP" THL NORTH
KOREANS AND ECHOING EARLIER WLRNTNGS THtT WASHINGTON SHOULD ACT
DISCRETE1.Y. PYONGYANG RADIO AT THIS ,IIME IS CONTINUING NORMAL
PRAGRAMMING.
PRESS COMMENT
THE NODONG SINMUN EDIIORIAOS TREATMENT OF THE INITIA1 1B AUGUST
JNA INCIDENT SEEMED SOMEWHAT MORE RESTRAINED THAN PRZVICUS?."CCOUNTS
OFFERED BY MK MEDIA. THE EDITORIAL CLAIMED ONLY THAT TH:. U.S.
FORCES HAD.SEEN ALLOWED TO "COMMIT AN ACT OF VIOLENCE" AND THAT 1,
"VIOLENT FRACAS ENSUED...RESULTING IN INJURIES TO BOTH SIDES."
OTHER PYONGYANG COMMENT VI'S EMPHASIZED THE POINT, OMITTED BY THE
EDITORIAL, THAT THE NORTH KOREAN GUARDS HAD TAKEN "SELF-DENS
MEASURES. (THE U.S. FATALITIES IN THE INCIDENT HAVE STILL NOT BEEN
ACKNOWLEDGED BY DPRK MEDIA.) BOTH THE EDITORIAL AND A COMMENItTOR
ARTICLEPUBLISHED TN THE SAME PAPER AND BROADCAST AN HOUR EARLIER-..
STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT THE uaITED STATES LAUNCHED.
t.PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN AND INITIATED MILITARY ACTIONS "tS IF" THEY
RAD BEEN WAITING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. EARLIER COMMENT HAD CLEIRLY
CHARGED THAT THE UNITED STATES HAD DELIBERATELY CAUSED THE INCIDENT
TO SERVE AS A'PRETEXT FOR FURTHER MILITARY ACTION, AND HAD NOT LEFT
ANY eEMENT OF DOUB1 AS TO WHAT THE UNITED STATES HAD RL:U_Y
INTENDED. ELSEWHERE, HOWEVER, THE COMMENTATOR ARTICLE DID REPLAT
THE EAVIER CHARGES THAT THE INCIDENT WAS A "PREMEDITATED" U.S.
PNOVOCATION.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/11/24: LOC-HAK-267-4-13-7
prhmT-i-mmunim-
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/11/24: LOC-HAK-267-4-13-7
? %NILE PYONGYANG MEDIA HAVE CONTMED TO. WARN THAT WAE COULD
BREAK CUT "AT ANY MOMENT" AND TO. APPEAL FOR ComBAT RFADINESS,
IRE EDITORIAI. ALSO STRESSED THAT'VORTH KOREA WAS t "PECE-LOVIG
COUNTRY* AO THAI IT WOULD "MAKE'EVERY EFFORT TO PRESERVE ,ENC ?
CONSDEIDATE PEACE IG 'KUREA," THE EDITORIAL WENT ON 70 APPEAL TO
THE GOVERNMENTS APO PEOPLE OF THE?WORED 10 DIRECT "DEEPER
ATTENTION)70 TRE CRITICAL SITUATION" IN YOREA AND TO T^KZ "PROP.IR
STEPS FOR CuRBIrG AND. FRUSTRETING" U.S. AC1IONS TO.7START t W'R."
THE E7DCWSINMUN CCMMENTAIOR ARTICLE SIMTAHLY CL ED woELD
SUPPORTTO THE "JUST STRUGGLE oF, THE moREAN PEOPLL? TO PRESERET
PEACE 144 YOREA AM) 'THEIR NATIONAL DieorY." THE EDITcRIA! '.SC
CLAIMED THAI SUPPORT AT THE RECENT NONALINED SuOMIT FOTI-TH4 DPEK
POSITION TO FORCE A U.S. TROOP WITHDRAWAL AND REALIZE THE - .
"INDEPENDENT AND PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION".0F THE COUNTRY.HAD BEEN A
"TELLING 'BLOW* .TO THE UNITED .STATES.
THE EDITORIAL AND THE COMMENT/TOR ARTICLE BOTH REFERRED TO
THE ORDER OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER?REVEALED IN THE ARMY'S SUPREME
COMMAND REPORT OF 19 AUGUST?FOR ALL UNITS TO BE IN "COMeAT
READINESS.* AT THE SAME TIME, THE EDITORIAL ECHOED OTHER PROPAGANDA
IN CAL ING ATTENTION TO NONEILITARy DUTIES, UFGING THE PEOPLE TO
DEVPTE THEIR ATTENTION TO Ecpwein TASKS AND TO tCcELERATE
"SOCIMST CONSTRUCTION.
REACTION TO XISSINGER
SECRETARY KISSINGER'S CALL FO.W.DPRK EXPLANATIONS tND
REPARATIONS FCR THE IS AUGUST INCIDENT IPS FIRST ACKNOWLEDGED ,
BY PYONGYANG MEDIA IN A 21 AUGUST -DOMESTIC BROADCAST rT 1040.
THE. COMMENTARY, CARRIED SHORTLY AFTER BY KCNA, DENOUNCED KISSINGER'S
DEMANDS AS A "NEW PRETEXT FOR DIRECTLY LIGHTING THE BLASTIEG
FUSE. CF WAR.* THE NEWS AGENCY'S ENLISH-LANGUATE ACcOUNT
OMITTED SOME CF THE COMmENTtRY'S STRONGEST LANGUAGE WHEN IT
DID NOT INCLUDE THE RADIO'S OBSERvATION THAT' RATHER THAN DEMAND
AN EXPLANATION, THE "U.S. IMPERIALISTS" ARE THE *CRIMINALS" wHO
mutt) *KNEEL BEFORE THE KOREAN PEOPLE AND APOLOGIZE FOR THE
PROVOCATIVE ACT THEY TEHMSELVES PAVE CARRIED OUT." KCNA ALSO
OMITTED THE RADIO'S CLAIM TIT THE MITED STATES HAD REvEAtED ITS
"INTENTION 70 RESORT TO FORCE IF THE DEMAND IS NOT MET."
MOSCOW' PEKING
THE FIRST MONITORED SOVIET ACKNOWLEGMENT OF THE IS AUGUST
INCIDENT CAME IE A MOSCOW RADIO REPORT, WIDELY BROADCAST TO FOREIGN
AUDIENCES, WHICH NOTED NEWS AGENCY REPORTS THAT FOLLOWING NI
"INCIDENT" IN THE DMZ THERE HAD SEEN A "CLASH" WHICH HAD RESUITED
IN "SEVERAL DEATHS." THE MOSCOW REPORT wENT ON TO CITE mCNA AS
cumme THAT THE CLASH WAS PROVOKED BY THE UNITED STATES. AND SOUTH
KOREA IN PRDER TO "AGGRAVATE!' THE SITUPTTON IN_KOREA. MOSCOW
NOTED THAT U.S. FORCES IN SOUTH FOREA AND ROK FORCES HAD BEEN PUT
OE ALERT BUT FAILED TO ACCOWLEDGE THAT NORTH KOREAN UNITS HAD ALSO
SEEN ALERTED. .TRE STATEMENT MADE NO MENTION OF STATENENTS BY
PRESIDENT FORD OR SECRETARY KISSINGER ON THE INCIDENT BUT CLAIMED
THAT "PENTAGON OFFICIALS" HAVE PUT OUT STATEMENTS "FULL OF
THREATS.'
PEKING MEDIA HAVE NOT REPuRTED ANYTHING NEW ?011 THE KORIAN
SITUATION SINCE NCNA EARLY ON 21 AUGUST FIRST ACKNovi EDGED THE'
CLASH BY REPORTING THE xcNA AUTHORIZED STATEMENT OF THE 197H,
THE DPRK REPORT OF THE 19 AUGUST MAC MEETING-wHICH-DISCuSSED THE
.INCIDENT? AND THE YPA SUPREME CGMMAND REPORT.
21 AUG 20312 SOC/RB
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/11/24 : LOC-HAK-267-4-13-7
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