Historical Documents - Office of the Historian

702.0095/7–1946

undated

secret

1.: The State, War and Navy Departments have decided that in [Page 718] appropriate instances foreign nations will be authorized to establish consulates in Korea. In accordance with International Law and U.S. practice, in occupied territories, the military commander has complete authority over all foreign consulates. Their functions and privileges can properly be limited by the Commanding General to those which assist him in the discharge of his responsibilities, and the size of their staffs is also subject to his control.
2.: Unless you have objections from point of view of military security, in which case your comments requested, the State Department will invite the Chinese Government to send one consular officer and two assistants to Korea and will inform the British Government that they may change the status of their present liaison officer to that of a consular official. Names of individuals nominated will of course be referred to you before approval.
3.: Requests for consular representation by other foreign powers will be considered individually on their merits and will be referred to you for comment prior to approval by the United States Government.
4.: Early reply requested.

This is a copy of appendix “C” to SWNCC 318, entitled “Consular establishments in U.S. Zone of Korea”, July 15, approved by SWNCC on July 19. It was transmitted with SWN–4579, July 19, to the Departments of State, War, and Navy. The Joint Chiefs of Staff were requested to transmit the appendix as a message to General MacArthur, and the State Department was asked to implement the paper when deemed appropriate. Accordingly, SWNCC 318 was sent to Seoul with instruction 23, July 23, and notes were sent to the British, Chinese, and French Embassies on September 5.↩
May 29 and June 4, neither printed.↩

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII