284. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy 0
Visit of Korean CIA Director Kim
You have been asked by General Van Fleet to receive Kim Chong P’il.1
Kim is the Director of the Korean CIA, and both he and his organization have been involved in practices which State considers questionable, among which was the heavy speculation on the Korean stock exchange several months ago which resulted in a financial crisis. In addition, the Department feels that Kim, who is the second most powerful man in the government, uses the secret police as a political tool.
Both Governor Harriman and Ambassador Berger strongly recommend against Kim’s being received by you or the Vice President. They do recommend that he be received by the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and, possibly, the Secretary of Defense. The Attorney General will be asked by the Department to comment rather severely to him upon the proper role of the police in a democracy.2
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 8/62-3/63. No classification marking. Apparently attached to this memorandum was a memorandum from Clifton to Smith, October 17, indicating that the President read the Forrestal memorandum, but that in light of a letter from Van Fleet (see footnote 1 below) he wanted to see Kim Chong-p’il, barring recommendations to the contrary. A note, apparently by Clifton, on this memorandum states that Forrestal “strongly opposes appointment. The A.G. [Attorney General] is seeing him. The Korean’s reputation is not good.” (Ibid.)↩
- Van Fleet wrote the President on October 16. No copy of his letter has been found. McGeorge Bundy sent Van Fleet a response, on October 22, in which he stated that the President agreed with Van Fleet’s view that Kim “is far more than the head of his agency in Korea.” Bundy explained that since the President was restricting his official meetings during the next few weeks because of the Cuban missile crisis, he could not make an exception for Kim. However, Bundy continued, Kim would see Rusk, McNamara, McCone, and Robert Kennedy. (Ibid.)↩
- In a memorandum to James Symington of Robert Kennedy’s office, October 24, Executive Secretary Brubeck attached a talking paper for the Attorney General’s meeting with Kim Chong-p’il on October 26, at 10 a.m. The paper suggested that the Attorney General state that the United States considered it important for the ROK Government to carry out its pledge to restore constitutional government through free elections before the summer of 1963. In preparation, the government should broaden its civilian base, not restrict candidates for office without good cause, not restrict the right to criticize the government before and during the campaign, and terminate martial law well before the campaign began. (Department of State, Central Files, 033.95B11/10-2462) No record of the Robert Kennedy-Kim conversation has been found.↩