N. KOREA NEWSMAN FLEES PANMUNJOM IN U.S. CAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP69B00369R000100020004-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 30, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 23, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON L?O&t
~t34 Ap release/WWS G"r&~W9B00369R000100020004-9
MAR23 37
' i~?1 8S Duffle .s Flv
N. Korea Newsman F], ees ;.
Pnrnunorn in U.S. Car
From dews Dispatches
SEOUL, March 22-A high
North Korean press official,
jumped into a L'i,it;;d Nations
Command car occupied by a
U.S. Army colonel at Panmun-
join Truce Village today and
fled to South Korea. Commu-
nist guards fired at least 40
shots at the speeding car.
Lee Soo Keun, 44, crouched
in ie rear sea ofi. ol.
Donald E. Thomson's Army
sedan as the car crashed
through a wooden barrier has-
tily lowered by a Communist'
guard at the truce camp's
southern exit.
Thomson, of Chelsea, Iowa, .
said the barrier struck "the
front fender and bounced;
smashing the windshield, and
then hit the top of the car."
Thomson was slightly cut by.-
LEE SOO KEUN
... defects
flying glass. transferred to a helicopter, in
Lee was identified as vice ment and ignite a new war." It transferred
With U.S. Army Maj.
president of the official North .demanded Lee's prompt re- 'Gen. Richard G. Cicoilcla, sen?
Korean Central News Agency.
Dior U.N. Command delegate to
A North Korean broadcast turn. I b
later- charged Lee had been '?,ee had tone to cover the, the truce talks, Gen. Cicollel'a
kidnapped ae "part of the ag? 242d meeting of the Joint Mili-,'tools Lee to the U.S. Army
. Seoul''.s3 miles
gressive maneuvers of thetary Armistice Commission, at; Hospital in -
---.---
U.S. imperialists to undermine _which the North Koreans;
away, for a medical exam!-,
the Korean armistice agree-;(charged the U.N. Command nation. Lee' was then released;
with armistice violations and to South Korean security offi-i
the U.N. side charged the I dials.
Communists with firing on Lee is the third North'
U.S. ~and South Korean troops !Korean to defect through Pan-!
,in the Demilitarized Zone1n.,t,ninm Tn 'l UFO i 11
g
While the recriminations Joon, a reporter for aye Soviet
were taking place in the drab, Communist Party newspaper ,;
one=story conference building,' Pravda, defected after cover
South Korean sources said.!:
L
e
h
ffi
d
l
nyyavnc
C
~+.... o
cia
e
s
?] meetin Later a Communist
and said he intended to rie g
feet. i guard killed a fellow soldier
Thomson, who commands at Panmunjom and defected.
the advance camp , on the
South Korean order, about a-
mile from Panmunjom,
nought his car to the front of
the building when the meeting
ended. As about ' 50 Commu-
nist guards and newsmen
watched, Lee jumped into the
car.
Two North Korean guards
tried to.force their way into
the car, but were shaken off
as it sped away. 'T'hey then
opened fire and were joined,'.
by, other guards, as the car
raced downhill toward South
Korea. , ` '
At the advaiico camp, Lee:
Approved For Release 2004/01/16 : C1A-RDP69B00369R000100020004-9