"US Court Issues North Korean Summons in Pueblo Crew Members' Lawsuit"

Pueblo Ship Exhibited in Pyongyang

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] As the crew members of the Pueblo recently filed a new civil lawsuit against North Korea, it has been reported that a local court issued a summons to the North Korean regime.

According to the Voice of America (VOA) broadcast on the 4th, the civil summons posted on the U.S. federal court electronic record system included a statement that a lawsuit had been filed, along with instructions that "a response must be made within 60 days from the time the summons is delivered or procedures must be followed according to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure." The recipient of the summons was specified as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pyongyang was also listed as the delivery address.

Earlier, 116 plaintiffs, including the Pueblo crew members and their families, filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court demanding compensation of up to approximately 16 billion KRW per person, claiming they suffered abduction and torture by the North Korean regime during the capture of the Pueblo in 1968.

VOA stated, "The litigation begins the moment North Korea receives the summons, but there is no proper way to deliver the summons to North Korea." In the past, international postal services were used to deliver legal documents to North Korea in lawsuits filed by Americans, but this has now been suspended. The plaintiffs have requested the U.S. Department of State to deliver the documents through a 'diplomatic channel' by handing them over to countries that maintain diplomatic relations with North Korea or to the North Korean mission to the United Nations.