Korean Incidents Reported To U.N.

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31985, 12 May 1969, Page 15

Korean Incidents Reported To U.N.

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) * NEW YORK, May 9. ’ The United States y&terday accused North Korea of risking a further escalation ■_ of tension in Korea by committing increasing numbers of acts of infiltration, terrorism and subversion.

■ In a special report of the < United Nations Command in 1 Korea to the Security Coun- J 41, the United States • Ambassador, Mr Charles 1 Yost, said North Korean vio- ' igtions of the 1953 Armis- : tice Agreement up to Octo- | ber 1968, “were exceeded I both in frequency and mag- ! nitude during the final four J months of the year. “The United Nations s Command considers these North Korean acts of infil- 1 tration, terrorism and sub- i version to have been of such 1 seriousness as to warrant a ' further report to the United Nations,” Mr Yost said. In 1950 the Security Council gave the United States authority to run the United Nation’s military operation in Korea. Reports from the United Nations Command in Korea are therefor presented by the United States Government - Mr Yost said that there were 761 “serious inciden* in the southern half of the demilitarised zone and throughout South Korea last year—“making it the most violent since the signing of the Armistice Agreement in 1953” Mr Yost made particular mention of the attempted assassination of the South Korean President Chung Hee Park in January last year, and several acts of violence during the (northern) spring and summer. As an appendix to the report, the United Nations Command gave comparative statistics of “the level of North Korean subversive activity” during the last four years. It showed a growing increase of serious incidents from 59 in 1965, •and 50 in 1966, to 566 in 1967 ■nd 761 last year. + The number of South Korean Police and United Nations military killed or wounded increased from 59 in 1965, and 73 in 1966, to 500 in 1967 and 507 in 1968. j Mr Yost referred also to the shooting down last month

of an unarmed United States reconnaissance aircraft, reportedly in international air space, and “an unprovoked attack upon a United Nations Command work party within the demilitarised zone on March 15.” The United States ambassador said the growing number of incidents “demonstrate North Korea’s intention to risk further escalation of the already high level of tension on the Korean peninsula.”

The report, now in the hands of the Security Council will be circulated to all United Nations members.