KOREAN DMZ: US ARMY HELICOPTER PILOT BOBBY HALL, ACCUSED OF SPYING, RELEASED BY NORTH KOREA

Record ID: 210277

  • Title: KOREAN DMZ: US ARMY HELICOPTER PILOT BOBBY HALL, ACCUSED OF SPYING, RELEASED BY NORTH KOREA
  • Date: 30th December 1994
  • Summary: PANMUNJOM BORDER CROSSING, KOREA (DECEMBER 30, 1994) (REUTERS TELEVISION/POOL - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV BORDER CROSSING WITH SOLDIERS ON BOTH SIDES AT ATTENTION 0.04 2. SV NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS AT ATTENTION 0.07 3. SV UNITED STATES (U.S.) MILITARY OFFICIALS WAITING 0.10 4. SV TWO U.S. OFFICIALS WALKING TO BORDER DEMARCATION LINE 0.19 5. SV DEPUTY-ASSISTANT UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS, THOMAS HUBBARD WALKS FROM NORTH KOREAN SIDE TO SOUTH KOREAN SIDE 0.24 6. SV TWO U.S. SOLDIERS WATCHING 0.27 7. SV HUBBARD SHAKES HANDS WITH NORTH KOREAN DELEGATE 0.31 8. SV U.S. MILITARY OFFICIALS TALK TO NORTH KOREAN DELEGATES 0.35 9. SV HUBBARD CROSSES THE DEMARCATION LINE AND SHAKES HANDS WITH U.S. MILITARY OFFICIALS 0.46 10. SV MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHERS 0.47 11. SV CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER BOBBY HALL WALKS OUT FROM NORTH KOREAN SIDE 0.56 12. SV BORDER CROSSING AREA WITH MILITARY ON BOTH SIDES WAITING FOR HALL TO CROSS OVER TO SOUTH KOREAN SIDE 0.59 13. SV HALL WALKS UP TO DEMARCATION LINE, WITH CLOSE UP ON HIS BOOTS 1.08 14. SV HALL CROSSES OVER DEMARCATION LINE 1.15 15. SV HALL SHAKES HANDS WITH U.S. MILITARY OFFICIAL 1.18 16. SV HALL AND U.S. MILITARY OFFICIALS TALK TO NORTH KOREAN OFFICIALS 1.24 17. SV HALL AND U.S. MILITARY OFFICIAL WALK WAY FROM NORTH KOREAN SIDE 1.34 18. CU HUBBARD SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 2.09 19. SV HALL SHAKES HANDS WITH U.S. MILTARY MEN 2.15 20. SV HALL IS ESCORTED INTO ARMY VAN 2.19 SEQUENCE 18 TRANSCRIPT: HUBBARD :"I'VE JUST SPOKEN TO PRESIDENT CLINTON ON THE TELEPHONE, WHO IS AS PLEASED AS ALL OF US ARE THAT BOBBY HALL HAS RETURNED SAFELY. I'VE JUST HAD TWO RATHER DIFFICULT DAYS IN PYONGYANG WORKING OUT THIS ISSUE, I'M PLEASED THAT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT TOOK OUR HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS INTO ACCOUNT AND AGREED TO RETURN CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER BOBBY HALL TO US" Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 14th January 1995 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PANMUNJOM BORDER CROSSING, KOREAN DMZ
  • Reuters ID: LVALM7LJDBCVYBDE8XNNGVLTUPF
  • Story Text: A United States (U.S.) Army helicopter pilot accused of spying by North Korea crossed the heavily-fortified border into South Korea on Friday (December 30), after being freed by Pyongyang.

    Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Hall, 28, crossed the border at Panmunjom at 11:15 a.m. (0215 GMT), accompanied by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas Hubbard, who negotiated the pilot's release in Pyongyang.

    Hubbard said, directly after the handover that he had spoken to U.S. President Bill Clinton on the telephone, who was as pleased that Bobby Hall has returned safely.

    "I've just had two rather difficult days in Pyongyang working out this issue, I'm pleased that in the final analysis the North Korean Government took our humanitarian concerns into account and agreed to return chief warrant officer Bobby Hall to us," he said.

    Hall had been held by the North Koreans since his helicopter crashed in North Korea on December 17.

    The North Korean government said it shot down the aircraft and that Hall's co-pilot David Hilemon, whose body was handed over last week, was killed in the crash.

    A U.S. official said Hall would go to the Yongsan U.S. military base in Seoul for medical evaluation and debriefing.


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