Read main thread: Korean War
June 25th, 2004  
Mark Conley
Tribuni Angusticlavii
 
 
Its another border incident involving a defector at Panjumanin

A diplomat from the Soviet Union visiting Panmunjom suddenly ran across the MDL yelling, "Please save me? It's called the "Matusak Incident? That morning at about 11:30, one Soviet visitor, who was taking pictures of the MAC meeting room, suddenly ran over the MDL and asked for help.

The North Korean guards fired warning shots in an attempt to stop the man from running away. Guards from the UNC Security Force took him into custody and sheltered him. The North Korean guards chased after the man crossing approximately 150 meters across the MDL.

An armed conflict began in front of the pond that was located in front of the Freedom House at that time. The exchanging fires lasted about 30 minutes and the defector was safely removed from the scene. Seventeen North Korean guards crossed over the line; three were killed and five were wounded. On the UNC side, one South Korean guard, Private 1st Class Chang Myung Gi was killed and one U.S. soldier was injured. After the firefight ended, the North Koreans took the bodies of their dead and wounded back to their side with the consent of UNC.

The defector, Matusak, took the refugee in the United States as a political exile. The UNC Security Battalion erected a monument at the site in memory of Private 1st Class Chang Myung Gi and named a building at Camp Bonifas "Chang Barracks" to remember his sacrifice.

http://www.panmunjomtour.com/english/jsa/jsa_9.htm
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