January 23, Pueblo Incident, capture of the USS “Pueblo,” a Navy intelligence ship, and its 83 crewmen by North Korean patrol boats off the coast of North Korea on January 23, 1968. The United States, maintaining that the “Pueblo” had been in international waters, began a military buildup in the area. It also initiated negotiations that resulted in an agreement that secured the release of the 82 surviving crewmen (one died from wounds suffered during the capture) on December 23, 1968. The agreement allowed the United States to publicly disavow the confession the crew had signed, admitting the ship’s intrusion, apologizing, pledging to cease all future action, and acknowledging the truth of confessions obtained during captivity. A naval inquiry into these confessions and the actions of Comdr. Lloyd M. Bucher produced no apparent disciplinary action.
