66. Memorandum From the Chief of the Office of Civil Affairs and Military Government, Department of the Army (Marquat) to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)1

SUBJECT

  • Final Report of Military Sub-Committee, US–ROK Conferences
1.
The work of the Military Sub-Committee of the US–ROK conferences has been completed.
2.
The Military Sub-Committee was organized to include staff and technical experts in all aspects of the ROK–US military relationships, drawn from Command and Staff in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and assisted by representatives from the Department of State and the International Cooperation Administration.2
3.
Between 22 June and 18 July 1955, daily conferences were held and subordinate sub-committees discussed problems proposed by U.S. and ROK representatives. Matters requiring Washington level policy decisions were disposed of in discussion or referred with appropriate recommendations to responsible agencies here for decision. Matters within CINCUNC’s province, including the details and procedures of implementation of existing policies and agreements, were referred to CINCUNC through his representative on the Committee. Solutions mutually satisfactory to the U.S. and the ROK conferees were reached on most problems. The following six matters, of which the first five were raised by the ROK, were not resolved:
a.
Small Arms Authorization for ROK Army Reserve Divisions.
b.
Acceleration of the F–86–F delivery schedule.
c.
Request of ROKN for three additional LSTs.
d.
Policies concerning local procurement under DFS funding.
e.
Computation of ROK Forces FY 1956 strength figure.
f.
Adjustments which would be made by the Republic of Korea if Congressional action makes it impossible to allocate the amount of FY 1956 aid contained in the illustrative program.
4.

These problems have been disposed of by the Military Sub-Committee as follows:

The questions of small arms equipment for the ROK reserve division and acceleration of the F–86–F delivery schedules have been brought to the attention of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.3

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The request of the ROK Navy for three additional LSTs, and policies concerning local procurement under DFS funding are being worked out in the normal operational relationships between the field and concerned Washington agencies. Decision to handle the LST problem in this manner is based upon the recommendation of the Chief of Naval Operations. Decision for further study through normal channels of the matter of local procurement was reached upon the joint recommendation of the Military and Economic Sub-Committees.

The ROK Forces FY 1956 strength figure is basic to all other significant problems of the Republic of Korea. This problem, which is whether ROK Forces remain at 720,000 during FY 1956, and whether KATUSA and reservists on active duty other than regular cadre personnel should be included in this strength figure, is now under study.

Both the ROK Delegation and CINCUNC were requested to indicate the categories in which reductions could be made with least damaging effect if adjustments were necessary to reflect lower than the illustrative amounts of U.S. FY 1956 aid. The ROK Delegation could not agree to discuss category reductions. CINCUNC has indicated that he is giving the matter most serious consideration.

5.
Transmitted herewith are verbatim minutes of the several meetings of the Military Sub-Committee, together with a summary report thereof.4
W.F. Marquat
Major General, USA
  1. Source: Department of State, Seoul Embassy Files: Lot 59 F 180, 320.1—Washington Discussions, 1955. Confidential.
  2. The Foreign Operations Administration was abolished on June 30 and its functions were transferred to the International Cooperation Administration which was established on July 1 as a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of State.
  3. A note on the source text indicates that small arms authorization for Republic of Korea Army Reserve Divisions had been “ok’ed.”
  4. Not printed. Copies of these documents are also in Department of State, Seoul Embassy Files: Lot 59 F 180, 320.1—Washington Discussions, 1955.