09-151.pdf

6.6 North Korea Expels the Czech Republic in 1993 and
Poland in 1995
North Korea’s efforts to undermine the armistice did not end
with its efforts to incapacitate the MAC. When communism collapsed
in Eastern Europe, Czechoslovakia and Poland had become genuinely
neutral and increasingly at odds with North Korean views. Since the
NNSC no longer served the North’s objectives, North Korea then
openly sought to dismantle the Commission. The appointment of
Major General Hwang in March 1991 was the pretext. On August 25,
1992, North Korea announced at a visit to the Czech/Polish camp that
one member each would be allowed to visit P’yôngyang once a month
for one night and two days and only for such special occasions as
formal requests from the embassies, principal visits from the
motherlands and illness. Swedish and Swiss members on journeys to
China would not be allowed to visit North Korea and travel by train
from P’yôngyang to Beijing.
When Czechoslovakia was divided into the Czech Republic and
Slovakia on January 1, 1993, the former, following an agreement
concluded on December 29, was willing to take over Czechoslovakia’s
mandate. On December 30, this message was conveyed to the MAC
and the NNSC. However, whereas the UNC/MAC, the NNSC and
China supported the succession, arguing that the Czech Republic
should be regarded as the legal successor of Czechoslovakia, North
Korea, which although it had been informed in advance argued that it
had not, refused. The opinion was that there was no successor state
but two new nations. On December 31, the KPA/CPV Senior Member,
General Li Chan-bok, proposed to the Swedish and Swiss NNSC
424 Peace-keeping in the Korean Peninsula