702.6195/6–1346: Telegram
Lieutenant General John R. Hodge to the Secretary of State
[Received June 13—5:42 p.m.(?)]
Tfgcg 410 [to Tokyo]. Mr. Polianski, Soviet Consul General, Seoul, reported officially today that he had received instruction from his [Page 704] Government to withdraw in the near future the Soviet Consulate in Seoul. He had further been informed by his Foreign Office that he would leave Mr. Konstantin Grigorievich Bikoff, now in Seoul as a caretaker, and that two additional Russians would be sent to Seoul as caretakers whose names are as follows: Sergei Semenovich Zudin, Nikolai Alexseevick Krivosheeff. He further stated that he was starting packing immediately and requested that four Soviet soldiers and one truck be authorized to come to Seoul to assist him in his departure. This request was granted. Although a definite time was not set, indications were that he expected to complete the move within the next week to ten days.22 The total personnel to remain in the consulate grounds would be the three males mentioned above. Their families would not be here. In response to a query, Mr. Polianski stated that he had no intention of releasing this information to the press but he did not know what his government intended to do. No press release contemplated here at this time pending statement from our State Dept. Request that State Dept furnish me any information known by them of the two proposed caretakers coming from north of 38 degrees.
- The departure of the Soviet consular staff from Seoul was reported by General Hodge in a telegram received July 3 via Tokyo. A guard was placed over the Consulate grounds for its protection. (702.6195/7–346) Despatch 36, July 10, from Seoul, received July 22, transmitted further information on this subject. (702.6195/7–1046)↩