09-151.pdf

of the Swedish Army that the atmosphere at MAC meetings remained
the same but was still acrimonious.
In contrast to the recorded opinions, Kim (2003) notes that the
MAC did not function as a body to resolve disputes and the main
provisions of the Armistice Agreement had been suspended as early as
the 1950s or did not work. However, as the only channel for raising
important armistice violations, the Commission nevertheless helped
to prevent the outbreak of a new war. Downs (1999) writes that if the
MAC had not existed, the actions instigated by North Korea between
January 1966 and December 1969 might have caused more casualties.
The above account supports Kim’s opinion about its peace-keeping
role, but it should be noted that Kim writes that throughout the 1960s
Panmunjom was “a place for verbal battles in the Cold War squeezed
between East and West.” 153 There can be no doubt that the Commission’s
work was hampered by such battles; the peace-keeping role
of the MAC should not be overvalued.
The NNSC continued its work with a reduced mandate. The
report by Major General Arne Hallström, Head of the Swedish NNSC
Delegation, for March-September 1964 to the Army Chief confirms that
153_ Bennedich, Slutrapport: Bilaga 1: Generalmajor Carol Bennedichs slutrapport efter
tjänstgöring som chef för Svenska Delegationen i Neutrala Övervakningskommissionen
i Korea och medlem i NNSC under tiden 25/9 1965-27/3 1966 (Panmunjom, March
24, 1966), pp. 0, 1, 3; Bratt, Slutrapport: bilaga 1 (Panmunjom, March 15, 1965),
pp. 0: 3; Downs, op. cit., p. 119; Hasselrot, Slutrapport (Panmunjom, September
24, 1965), pp. 1, 2: op. cit., p. 4; Hård af Segerstad, Slutrapport: Bilaga:
Generalmajor B. Hård af Segerstads slutrapport efter tjänstgöring som chef för Svenska
Delegationen i Neutrala Nationers Övervakningskommission i Korea och Member i
NNSC under tiden 18/3 1966-24/9 1966 (Panmunjom, September 23, 1966), p. 1:
1, 5; Kim, op. cit., 2003, pp. 175, 193; NNSC Chief Delegates - List Updated April
14, 1997; Uggla, op. cit., p. 2. Original quotation marks from Kim, ibid., p. 175.
“Violations” is quoted from Bratt, ibid., p. 3.
Rising Tensions on the Korean Peninsula during the 1960s
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