Naval vessels of the Korean People's Army, while on regular guard duty, captured Pueblo, a U.S. armed spy ship, when it entered waters of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the purpose of espionage on Jan. 23, Juche 57 (1968).

The seizure was a legitimate exercise of sovereignty by the DPRK and a self-defense measure to safeguard its dignity and security.

After the spy ship was seized red-handed in the East Sea of Korea, the U.S. imperialists shamelessly threatened to "retaliate" against the DPRK with a heavy mobilization of various kinds of military equipment, alleging Pueblo was being in international waters with no mission of espionage.

The situation of Korea was brought to the brink of war, drawing worldwide concern.

At that time, President Kim Il Sung warned that the Korean people and army would return retaliation for "retaliation" and answer allout war with allout war, manifesting the position that the Korean people did not want a war but were never afraid of it.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il had the whole army and people put in combat readiness, with the stand that even though the U.S. threatened the DPRK with aircraft carrier and warplanes, the captured service members would not be let go as long as the U.S. refused to make an apology.

The U.S. brought the Pueblo incident to the United Nations Security Council but finally it was compelled to bow to the DPRK and confess its crime. And it signed a document promising that any U.S. vessel would not enter the waters of the DPRK again in the future.

Indeed, the DPRK's victory in the incident was what the matchless courage and grit of the two brilliant commanders secured.

Now Pueblo is on display on the Taedong River in Pyongyang where the U.S. ship of aggression "General Sherman" was burnt some 140 years ago.