Japanese flock to inspect Korean spy ship

["J. Robert Dennis III" <jrdennis@earthlink.net>]

While not necessarily the Korean War circa 1945-1955, (a war that is on 
pause).  Some might find this interesting.  Because some do not have a 
subscription to the Daily Telegraph, I have posted the article with out 
the picture of the NK ship's stern.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/02/wkor02.xml&;
sSheet=/portal/2003/06/02/ixportal.html
 Japanese flock to inspect Korean spy ship
By Colin Joyce in Tokyo
(Filed: 02/06/2003)

Thousands of Japanese queued for hours yesterday to see the rusting hulk 
of a North Korean spy ship after it was put on display in Tokyo. The 
vessel was sunk after being riddled with bullets by the Japanese 
coastguard during a gun battle in December 2001.
 
Visitors to the exhibit examine the stern of the North Korean spy ship

The ship, retrieved from the sea bed last September, has yielded 
fascinating glimpses into how North Korea has repeatedly infiltrated 
Japan to spy and to smuggle drugs for hard currency.

In the fashionable O-Daiba area of Tokyo two-hour queues formed as 
Japanese flocked to the Maritime Science Museum. People of all ages filed 
silently past and took pictures of the 45-foot boat.

Takashi Ueda, who works at the museum, said: "North Korea is on the news 
daily here, whether for their nuclear weapons programme or their 
abduction of Japanese citizens. There is great interest in this boat and 
the North Korean problem. We estimate we have four to five times the 
usual number of visitors."

Packets of North Korean cigarettes and a badge of the deceased leader Kim 
Il-Sung leave little doubt of the ship's origins. The most chilling piece 
of evidence is a small switch labelled "self destruct" in Korean. Japan 
believes the crew used this switch to scupper the boat rather than be 
captured.

Ten bodies were recovered from the ship but the array of armaments 
recovered - dozens of automatic weapons, a surface-to-air missile 
launcher and even an underwater scooter capable of carrying up to three 
men - indicates that there would have been more people aboard.

The vessel was disguised as a Chinese fishing boat but is believed to 
have been smuggling drugs to Japan. Last month a senior North Korean 
defector told a US Senate sub-committee how North Korea routinely ran 
drugs to neighbouring countries.

North Korean agents are believed to have penetrated Japan over decades to 
spy and to buy up technology useful for its weapons programmes. They also 
kidnapped Japanese citizens to teach the Japanese language and customs at 
spy schools.

Last year, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il admitted a dozen 
abductions in the 1970s and 1980s and allowed five Japanese to go home.

The tension between North Korea and its neighbours was in evidence again 
yesterday when South Korea's navy fired warning shots after eight North 
Korean fishing boats crossed the border between the rival nations.

There were no reports of any injuries or damage. The incursion happened 
in the Yellow Sea, rich crab fishing grounds where naval gun battles 
erupted last June and in 1999.