North Korea: "If Our Territorial Waters Are Violated, We Will Completely Destroy the Enemy's Landmass"

Pueblo Ship Exhibited in Pyongyang

North Korea, on the eve of the 55th anniversary of the capture of the US Navy intelligence-gathering ship Pueblo, threatened once again that if its territorial waters are violated, it will completely destroy the enemy's territory, mentioning nuclear confrontation.

The Workers' Party organ, Rodong Sinmun, mentioned the Pueblo ship displayed at the Victory Museum in an article titled "The Declaration of Heroic Joseon is Unchanging Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" on the 21st.

The newspaper stated, "This meaningful year marks the 70th anniversary of victory (North Korea's term for the Korean War armistice), the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Republic, and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces, and the emotions of our People's Army soldiers visiting the Victory Museum are profound," adding, "Joseon is a powerful country that has stamped the label of a defeated nation and loser on the forehead of the United States and is the victor."

It continued, "What would be the result if a second Pueblo ship were to enter our territorial waters again?" and asserted, "If our sovereign dignity is touched, this time, not just the enemy's port city or airfield, but the entire land of the provocateur and invader will be completely destroyed. Joseon's determination to confront the enemy is by no means empty words."

The Pueblo, carrying 83 officers and crew members, was conducting intelligence-gathering operations near Wonsan off the east coast of North Korea on January 23, 1968, when it was captured by North Korea, resulting in one death. The United States signed a document apologizing for violating North Korean territorial waters in December of the same year and received back 82 detainees and one set of remains.