The United States warship moored on the banks of the Pothong river, in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, is likely to attract a great number of visitors this weekend. It is not engaged on a goodwill visit nor is it the venue for talks between the two nations, but given the current tensions, it is surprising the USS Pueblo doesn’t draw more attention.
“It’s chilling for an American to go on board; the windows are still cracked by bullet holes, there are the original books and ledgers. It’s meant to be a museum but it’s a propaganda showpiece,” says Jean H. Lee, a journalist, expert in North Korean affairs and global fellow with the Woodrow Wilson International Centre, in Washington DC.