The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-07-11
General Paik Sun Yup, South
Korea's Peace Talk Delegate,
Has No Time T Or Communists
ALL THROUGH
BITTER FIGHTING
SAID THEY WOULD
GET EVEN SOMEDAY

GET EVEN SOMEDA1
TOKYO. July Il.-l4''-South
Korea's chief delegate To the ka-
esong armistice talks IS a fiery.
young North Korean who has oo
time for Communism.
General Paik Sun Yup. 30
year-old commander of the South
Korean First Corps. was born and
reared in Pyongyang, but moved
out when the Communists moved
in after World War H. He head
ed south ana offered his services
to the Republic Of Korea.
A squat little man with bead}
black eyes, General Paik quick
~ became known 10 his United
Nations colleagues simply as
PAX" He commanded the tena-
cious South Korean First Division
through the early, bitter battles
Of the war.
One rainy day last October al
ter a two-day search through the
rugged mountain terrain north Of
Kaesong, AP Correspondent Jack
Macbeth finally caught up with
the Division and PAX, The gen
erals first words at that time
were: 4 think you stick around.
We 60 Pyongyang.
Morale among the Rok infan-
trymen was high Gen. Pslk was
pushing them hard but they sens
ed the immient fall Of the enemy
capital and what they thought
would be the wars end,
On October II, in the village
Of Suan some IS miles southeast
Of Pyongyang. General Paik rc-
ferred to his Divisions fighting
march northward from the Kaes-
ong area and remarked
MY men are tired bat they
don't care. They want TO- get 10
Pyopgyang fast, They have no
time for the Communists and
neither do l."
Two days later at about II
a m, forward elements Of the So
Korean First Division broke thru
q thin but tough enemy crust on
the capitals outskirts With them,
shouting orders and geSticulating
wildly, was General Paik.
By noon on OctQber 10Th, the
RokS had linked up with Am
ericap infantrymea in the center
of Pxongapg ~ the Taedong
river. The general glanced a live
~ jig at the Iink-up site as snip
er's bullets whined close by
A few minutes earlier, he had
been visibly shaken when q leep
bearing his chief Of staff had de-
tonated a mine on Pyongyang S
main street, seriously w0unding
his aide.
For the next few DAYS Rok IN
fantrymen and American CTS
drank captured North Korean
beer and Russian vodka They
laughed and joked about the de
feated enemy.
Soon, however, the fortunes Of
war were to turn. Orders came
from the high command to drive
for the Manchurian border ard
General Parks division joined IN
the push,
Correspondent Macbeth next
saw General Paik at Kunu-Ri on
the ChongchoR river front early
ii November when the Chinese
interviewed with their smashing
surprise offensive. Paik was grim
and grinly with no trace Of his
usual smile.
This IS no good, he said. Too
many Chinese. ] think pretty
soon we must fail back.
His predictions proved correct
The whole Eighth Army battered
and bruised, withdrew ultimately
to a defense perlmcter north Of
Seoul. Meanwhile, the BOX First
division fought along the Chong-
chon one Of thc most herose de-
laying actions Of the war and suf-
Tered heavy casualties.
The next time Macbeth Saw the
slightly bow-legged general. the
situation was equally distressing.
The Chinese had launched their
new years assault on Seoul and