740.00119 Control (Korea)/7–1646
Memorandum of Conversation Held in the Division of Japanese Affairs27
Mr. Charles Thayer, U.S. member of the U.S.–U.S.S.R. Joint Commission, called at Mr. Borton’s28 office at 3:15 P.M., July 16, to discuss problems arising from the U.S. occupation of south Korea with those interested.
Mr. Thayer described the attempts of AMG to deal with Korean politicians and to unify the various Korean political parties. In supporting a coalition movement, AMG hoped to eliminate the two extremes—the Rhee rightists, and the Soviet-inspired Communists. Mr. Thayer thought that the attempt to bring the non-Communist leftists under Lyuh, head of the People’s Party into the coalition, would prove successful. On the other hand, in order to have rightist support for the coalition, Kim Koo was persuaded to come out for Kim Kiusic who is considered a possible center leader. In the legislative body that is to be set up shortly, Mr. Thayer believed that the number of appointed members would equal the number elected. In the appointment of Koreans to this body, he quoted General Hodge as desiring “a strong left”.
Mr. Thayer indicated that elections would be based on the traditional Korean 20-family unit from which representatives would be selected to a community governing body. Only at an electoral level twice removed from the original unit would the secret ballot be used. Such procedure stems from the fact that the Koreans are politically uneducated—that they have no conception of the meaning of majority rule or the secret ballot. In addition, in attempting to explain these ideas to the Koreans, AMG is handicapped by the complete lack of films and other educational media. However, Mr. Thayer did not think that voting should be restricted to literates, as such limitation would disenfranchise the great majority of the people, particularly the agricultural classes.
Mr. Thayer stated that he believed that the return of Syngman Rhee to Korea in the early days of the occupation had contributed significantly to the establishment of some degree of unity among the several [Page 716] hundred Korean political parties, although he admitted he was unable to estimate how much of Rhee’s prestige among Koreans was due to the support rendered him by the Military Government and how much was due to his reputation as a patriotic exile. However, he believed that at the present time Rhee had outlived his period of usefulness and should be gently eased out of the Korean political picture. In substantiating this position, he described Rhee’s belated attempt to prove himself responsible for unifying the right and left.
In answer to Mr. Bowles’ inquiry as to Korea qualifying to participate in the United Nations or international organizations which did not require that participating members be members of the United Nations, Mr. Thayer suggested that the appointment of Koreans as observers or participants in international conference should be made at the discretion of the Commanding General.
Mr. Thayer stated that the problem of the possible disposition of AMG’s interests in the printing presses of Korea was now under consideration. He believed that AMG should dispose of its share to those Koreans now in control of the presses, as this would eliminate the problem of appointing and investigating custodian managers and would encourage Koreans owners to make further investment. Supporting his position, Mr. Thayer stated that the printing presses are now distributed in a favorable proportion among the Korean political parties and could be considered as small Japanese businesses over which AMG has the power of disposal.
- Prepared by Alice L. Dunning of the Division of Japanese Affairs. Participating in the meeting to hear Charles W. Thayer, U.S. member of the U.S.–U.S.S.R. Joint Commission in Korea, were E. O. Reischauer, of the office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas (Hilldring); J. K. Emmerson and J. Z. Williams, of the Division of Japanese Affairs; Gordon Bowles, of the Japanese-Korean Branch, Area Division V (Occupied Areas), Office of International Information and Cultural Affairs; Ben Moore, of the Division of Japanese and Korean Economic Affairs; Paul Parker, of the Division of Monetary Research, Treasury Department; and Daniel Fahey, of the War Department.↩
- Hugh Borton, Acting Chief, Division of Japanese Affairs.↩