09-151.pdf

On February 24, the South Korean Foreign Ministry declared
that North Korea’s expulsion of Poland from the NNSC threatened
stability and peace in the Korean peninsula and violated the spirit in
the Basic Agreement to observe the Armistice Agreement until a peace
regime had been established. In spite of North Korea’s policy to
obstruct the armistice, South Korea would, on the basis of the spirit in
the Basic Agreement, continue to firmly observe the armistice. By
withdrawing its unilateral policy to evict the Polish delegation, North
Korea should immediately follow the Armistice Agreement. On the
same day, General Luck sent a letter to the Supreme Commanders of
the seven nations - Belgium, Ethiopia, Greece, Luxemburg, the
Netherlands, South Africa and Turkey - that had withdrawn their
liaison officers in the UNC to request a joint protest against the
expulsion of Poland. On February 25, General Luck also delivered a
protest to the KPA Commander-in-Chief, Kim Jong Il, but North
Korea’s position did not change. Subsequently, the Chinese government
rejected the Polish request to operate from Beijing. 334
Following the eviction of six Polish officers on February 28, the
NNSC presence was reduced to Sweden and Switzerland. The direct
telephone contact with the northern NNSC Camp set up in 1985 was
lost, but contacts were maintained with UN personnel and representatives
of the Red Cross, who have maintained permanent contacts,
and the South Korean Committee for Reunification. On March 4, the
Polish officers had to leave P’yôngyang and return home. Officially,
334_ Kim, ibid., 2006(b), pp. 112-113; Mueller-Lhotska and Millett, ibid., p. 130;
Widén, Månadsrapport februari (n. p., February 28, 1995), p. 13. The February 8
and 25 letters are recorded in Kukpang chôngbo ponbu, ibid., 1997, on pp. 151,
153 (Korean) and pp. 152, 154 (English).
434 Peace-keeping in the Korean Peninsula