2
The Joint Security Area at Panmunjom is a green island in a raw brown swatch of land called the Demilitarized Zone that gouges across the width of the Korean peninsula. This neatly landscaped, oval-shaped area is where North and South Korea meet to try to maintain peace through day-today discussions. This is where the famous table sits that separates the forces that are often more angry than ready to talk. United States Army soldiers from nearby Camp Bonifas provide protection for the area and the more than 100,000 visitors who come there every year.
The DMZ itself is 151 miles long and two and a half miles wide. It's a buffer zone created by the July 27, 1953, armistice that ended the Korean fighting.
Don Stroh took an observer's position at the back of the South Korean contingent inside the big room where the peace table sat. The South Koreans and their American guests were already in place at the table. The North Korean delegation was not there. It was an old tactic, making one side sit and wait for the other side to arrive.
Ten minutes later, the far doors opened and a short, thickset man with his North Korean military uniform pressed and spotless, with all the brass shined and all the combat ribbons and medals firmly in place, walked quickly down the aisle and took the center spot in the chairs. Four gleaming stars perched on his shoulders.
When he was seated, the rest of the delegation, most in uniform, marched in and sat on both sides of their leader.
Usually the wrangling at this table was reserved for low-ranking officers of both sides.
Perhaps someone had fired across the line. Some soldier had encroached into the North's territory. Civilians had been caught rushing across the cleared and mostly sterile zone.
The sight of high-ranking military men as well as the second-most-important man in America brought the tension to a new high.
A minor North Korean civilian spoke first. His words were at once translated into English.
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is pleased to be at the table today and to welcome the Vice President of the United States. We hope that this will mean the intransigent Americans have at last realized that our people can never be defeated and that we will continue our programs and operations.
"Since the United States has come with its second-ranking man, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has also brought to this table the second ranking official in our government and our army. It is my great pleasure today to introduce to you General Soo Chung Chi. General Soo."
One North Korean civilian began to clap, but was quickly hushed by a soldier sitting beside him. The general rose and stared across the table at Vice President Wilson Chambers. The Veep was an imposing figure — six-two, broad shoulders, forty-eight years old, a head of jet-black hair, and cleanshaven. He was in better physical shape now than he had been when he was in college.
Chambers stared back just as hard at the stocky North Korean general. For a moment the Vice President almost winced at the anger he saw in the general's face. Then he built a small frown and his eyes turned icy as he sent his own anger back, until the shorter man looked down at his notes.
An interpreter translated each word into English as the general spoke.
"I am disgusted and angered at this meeting. There is no true purpose here, and no possibility of any agreements. No chance that one of our sides might make concessions to the other. I have watched the United States imperialists function for many years. It is always the same. They attack and subdue an enemy so they can make a profit from that nation and hold power over them.
It's an old, old way of life for the Western powers.
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has never done any of these things. We have never subjugated another people. We have never made war on anyone for profit or power. We are a small country hounded and threatened by a huge nation with unlimited resources, hundred of warships, thousands of warplanes, and millions of men bearing modern arms.
"'We are half of a poor country. A poor nation that could be great if it were unified under one government. We are one people. We should be one country with one government. We must strive for this, to bring eighty million Koreans into the twenty-first century as a new people with tremendous promise and power in the great family of nations around the Pacific Rim."
General Soo looked hard again at the Vice President.
"The United States of America has for almost fifty years shattered the peace and freedom of all Koreans with the presence of her armed forces on our soil. This is nothing but a naked power plot to take over all of Korea and incorporate it into the American union of states, making Korea simply another small part of that union.
"This type of thin king, this type of furious action is nothing short of international criminal aggression, and should be dealt with by the United Nations and other law-abiding security groups.
"The intransient position of the United States leaves the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with only one alter native. That course of action is neither pleasing nor easy for the people of Korea. But at this point it is the only way that Korea can survive. We are one people. We must have one government."
The stocky man sat down. There was no cheering by the North Koreans. Instead they all looked with distaste at the Vice President.
Don Stroh had watched and listened to the North Korean with surprise and anger. The man was coming as close as anyone could to suggesting that an all-out war between North and South Korea could be the only solution to the current situation.
Stroh was surprised. War talk from a nation nearing the end of its economic rope? The North had a 1.2-million-man army, but much of the equipment it used had come from the Soviets and the Chinese many years ago and was now rusting and running out of spare parts and fuel. A MiG pilot who flew his jet to the South and surrendered had said that many of the North's fighter pilots had only five hours of flight time a year, due to a severe shortage of jet fuel. How could they stage an attack? No, the general was bluffing, and he was good at it.
Vice President Wilson Chambers stood and looked at the North Koreans. He spoke without notes. A translator on the North side translated his words.
"This is the start of an interesting exchange. I come directly from the President of the United States, and he has made several tremendously generous offers to the North Korean people.
"The United States does not want to annex Korea. It would be unheard of. We don't conquer independent countries to take them into our nation. Rather we help smaller countries and then free them to be independent, the way we did the Philippines.
"Today I bring to the North Korean people an offer of more than a billion tons of foodstuffs, everything from corn and wheat and rice to powdered milk, baby formula, cornmeal, oats, barley, soy, and a hundred other nonperishable foods that can help out a starving people.
"Our only restriction is that these millions of tons of food be used for the civilian population of North Korea. We know that food is in tremendously short supply, and we are not trying to embarrass our guests here today. It is simply a fact that North Korea needs to eat more food than it can produce. We want to help the North Korean people in this matter."
The Vice President paused and took a drink from a glass of water. He looked directly at the Korean general, who had his arms folded in front of him and a look of fury dominating his features. The Vice President hurried on.