09-151.pdf

illion in 1967. 106 This extraordinary increase confirms that the US
regarded South Korea as an increasingly important ally.
The KPA/CPV had accused the UNC of war preparations once in
1964, but in 1965-66 such accusations were raised seven times. In
1965-66, the parties raised rearmaments at eleven meetings. At the
215th meeting called by the KPA/CPV held on October 8, 1965, the
South claimed that the North had from the beginning violated Paragraph
13(d) and submitted its first report on operational materials on
October 6, 1953, but the South on July 28. There had been no fighter
planes on July 27 but, according to defecting pilots, up to September
20, 80 MIG planes had been brought in.
When the 236th meeting proposed by the KPA/CPV took place
on December 16, 1966, the North criticized the South for bringing in
fighter planes, including nine F-5A fighters, and naval destroyers from
the US. The South claimed that they were for defence purposes in
accordance with the cancellation of Paragraph 13(d). Also, “If your
side had not first violated Paragraph 13(d) and then continued to do
so for four years, our side would not have needed to bring in any
brand-new weapons at all.” 107 Obviously, no side wished to admit any
responsibility for rearmaments but only wanted to discredit the other
side: mutual distrust continued unabated throughout the 1960s.
106_ Hapch’am chôngbo ponbu, ibid., 1999, pp. 126, 158, 163, 164; Kim, ibid., 2003,
p. 180; Kukpang chôngbo ponbu, ibid., 1993, pp. 88-90, 92, 93, 99, 110, 111,
112. Original quotation marks. In 1966, North Korea dispatched about 50 pilots
and almost 300 advisers to Vietnam and increased material support (Lerner, op.
cit., p. 117).
107_ Hapch’am chôngbo ponbu, ibid., 1999, pp. 165, 179, 186, 187-8, 189, 197;
Kukpang chôngbo ponbu, ibid., 1993, pp. 112, 114, 120, 121, 124-5, 126, 130,
131.
128 Peace-keeping in the Korean Peninsula