Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXIX, Part 1, Korea

136. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Korea¹

Washington, November 30, 1967, 2356Z.

77501. Seoul Eyes Only for Porter. Saigon Eyes Only for Bunker and Locke.² Tokyo Eyes Only for Johnson.

1. Highest levels now wish to pursue additional ROK troop contribution with maximum urgency. Since Ambassador Locke is returning to US for consultation on December 7 in any event, our proposal is that he go via Seoul for short visit, possibly bearing Presidential message to Park.

2. Purpose of visit would not be to nail down all details, but to convey sense of urgency felt at highest levels here and to carry forward from Clifford/Taylor mission. At same time, we wish his message to be as specific as possible in terms of type and scale of additional forces, and we would hope that Seoul can provide us best judgment on what kind of “package” ROK might ask in return, so that we can provide Locke with instructions and put him in position either to respond under some headings or at any rate to undertake to get rapid answers on his return here.

3. To minimize visit appearing wholly as solicitation of additional contribution, we would in any event wish to depict it as normal US/ROK consultation on Viet-Nam situation. Depending on Tokyo’s judgment, we might also schedule short visit in Japan, recalling that GOJ has expressed interest in reports on Viet-Nam situation. Possible schedule might take Locke to Tokyo on December 4 and 5, with visit to Seoul on December 6 and departure from Seoul during day December 7.

4. Request urgent Seoul and Tokyo comment on this schedule and basic outline. You should not approach host governments until we have final exchanges. Your comment should cover receptivity of host government, date problems, and whether you see additional elements that could be used effectively to further the general picture of routine consultation on a regularly scheduled consultation return to the US. For example, would it be useful or the reverse to depict Tokyo visit as related to non-military areas in which GOJ already helping and in which such additional projects as educational television are pending? Replies should be Nodis with copies to other posts concerned.

5. Seoul already has our Exdis request (State 76010, Notal)³ for best judgment on ROK views both as to type and scale of forces and as to “package” they might seek.⁴ Your reply on this subject should be sent at once on Exdis basis separate from traffic dealing with possibility of Locke visit. Please copy your response to Saigon for Locke’s preliminary information.

Rusk

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 27–3 VIET S. Secret. Also sent to Saigon and Tokyo. Drafted by Bundy; cleared by Rostow, Meehan (S/S), and McNamara; and approved by Rusk.
2. Ellsworth Bunker was Ambassador and Eugene M. Locke was Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam.
3. See footnote 4, Document 134.
4. See footnote 3, Document 134.