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

141. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson¹

Washington, December 29, 1967.

SUBJECT

• Follow-up to your Canberra meeting with Korea’s President Park

You promised to give Park by January 1 our most forthcoming position in regard to his security needs. In return, Park promised to do his utmost to get additional ROK troops to Vietnam by March 1. Attached is a package which makes good on our commitment.² It consists of:

1. A letter from you to President Park which Ambassador Porter would deliver personally on January 1.

2. Detailed instructions to Porter which he would present to Park after Park has read your letter.

3. Instructions to CINCPAC on how to pay for this package of additional assistance. Also attached are the pertinent messages which give the background for the package we are recommending.

I believe it is a good package.

1. They ask for two destroyers: we are giving them one out of the Fleet Reserve for spring delivery and are reactivating another and will deliver it as early as possible. (Cost—$6 million not counting the value of the ships.)

2. They ask for three helicopter companies: We are giving them one for delivery in 1968, and this is difficult in view of helicopter shortage in Southeast Asia. (Cost—$3 million. In addition we have delivered 18 helicopters to Korea in the last two months and all of these will be available for counter-infiltration service.)

3. With our military, the Koreans worked out a counter-infiltration counter-guerrilla plan which requires a great deal of new equipment. We are approving the plan and agreeing to provide the needed equipment. There may be some difficulty on delivery dates but we are undertaking to do our level best to deliver as much as possible by the spring. (Cost—$32 million.)

4. The Koreans want MAP support for 8 additional ROK battalions for use in counter-infiltration activities: We are agreeing to use Korean MAP to support these units.

5. They ask for additional artillery: We are agreeing to provide one battalion of self-propeller 8-inch Howitzers for 1968 delivery. This is less than they ask for, but probably as much as they expected to get. (Cost—$3 million.)

6. They ask to set up a 5,000-man civilian logistics corps in Vietnam at highly advantageous pay scales: We are agreeing to the creation of the 5,000-man corps and will negotiate the pay scale level. These civilians will replace Korean soldiers now on logistics duty. (Cost—an additional $5 to 20 million depending on the pay scale.)

7. They ask that we support their additional forces for Korea—a light division of 11,000 men along the same lines as their recent deployment: We are agreeing. (Cost—$62 million.)

We are not agreeing to:

1. Their request that we provide heavy equipment for the construction of a limited access divided multilane super highway from Seoul to Pusan.

2. Their request for one F 4C air squadron. We are agreeing to look into the possibility of using some Korean pilots in Vietnam.

I recommend that you:³

1. Approve the letter.

Approve

Disapprove

See me

2. Approve the instructions to Ambassador Porter.

Approve

Disapprove

See me

Walt

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence, Korea, April 1, 1967 to December 31, 1967. Secret; Nodis.
2. The package was approved by the Departments of State and Defense as well as by AID and sent to Rostow with an explanatory memorandum from Read, December 28. (Ibid., Head of State Correspondence, Korea, Park Correspondence, Vol. I) None of the attachments is printed.
3. The President approved both recommendations. The text of his letter to Pak as well as instructions to Porter and CINCPAC were forwarded in telegrams 91815 and 91816 to Seoul and telegram 91817 to CINCPAC, all December 31. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, DEF 19–8 US–KOR S) A copy of the signed letter from President Johnson to President Pak, December 31, is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Head of State Correspondence, Korea, Park Correspondence, Vol. I.