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CHAPTER 7

Aftermath of 12/12

O

n the morning of December , , I departed the Yongsan

bunker, intending to return home. But I was intercepted on

the way to my car by the Canadian attaché, Allan Klassen. Al

was not at his best, having been out late the night before vis-

iting Itaewon nightspots.^1 He had barely been to bed when he received a call

from his ambassador, who wanted to know the details of what had tran-

spired the night before. About this time he was also joined by the Philippine

attaché, the Thai attaché, and several others, all with sleepy faces. Most of

these officers were, in addition to their duties as military attachés, assigned

to the United Nations command at Yongsan. Forces from their countries had

participated in the Korean War, and these officers represented their coun-

tries at the periodic Panmunjom talks with the North Koreans. They asked

me to brief them on the situation, for their governments were anxious to

understand exactly what had happened.

Although we Americans by now had a feeling that the worst was over and

that things for now were relatively calm, the rest of the international com-

munity in Seoul was just getting the news. The rumors that we had already

dealt with, such as widespread fighting among South Korean forces and se-

rious casualties, were beginning to fly around the foreign community. Some

of these rumors were almost unbelievable. For example, one embassy had

reported that Korea was at a state of near civil war and that the U.S. d In-

fantry Division had been ordered to Seoul to protect American and other for-

eign citizens. Many believed that an evacuation was imminent, and several

individuals expressed concern for their own safety and that of their families.

It was clear that the first order of business was to try and calm them down.

I explained the situation as we knew it, trying to convey a sense of calm

and composure and emphasizing that there was no serious danger to the

international community. What had happened was essentially an internal

matter, I said, and the Korean authorities, to include Pres. Choi Kyu Ha and

the legitimate government, were still in charge. This was only partially true,