740.00119 Control (Korea)/11–346: Telegram
The Political Adviser in Korea (Langdon) to the Secretary of State
priority
[Received 11:22 p.m.]
129. Tfpol 47 [to Tokyo]. Subject is Korean interim Legislative Assembly. Your telegram 141, October 26.74 Contents of messages of October 21 and October 22 cited in your telegram are not known, messages apparently not having emanated from here; this report will attempt to review the whole subject rather than provide information supplementary to that already in Department’s possession.
The organic ordinance (No. 118) of the Assembly is dated August 24, and preliminary distribution was made and instructions were sent to Provincial Governors for conduct of elections several days before its promulgation in final reprinted form on October 13. This need of [Page 762] winning official as well as a modicum of substantial support for the project from the Left, which from the very beginning has disliked, mistrusted and fought against the measure. As was stated in my recent reports, this support was finally forthcoming when Lyuh got clearance from the North Korean leaders and signed on October 4 on behalf of the left-wing in the “Coalition Committee,” jointly with Dr. Kimm Kiu Sic on behalf of the right-wing in that committee, a seven-point petition to General Hodge concerning the establishment of the Assembly, the draft ordinance having long previously been laid before them.
The first two points sought to reduce the military governor’s authority to “agreement” with the Assembly’s measures instead of “veto”, “sanction”, or “ratification” thereof. The third recommended that the body be increased to 45 members to be elected by the people and 45 members appointed upon recommendation by the Coalition Committee. The fourth point related to definition of pro-Japanese ineligible for membership, and the fifth to methods of election. The sixth proposed that two delegates of the Coalition Committee be sent to each province to supervise the voting. The seventh read: “This preliminary legislative organization will conduct itself as a legislature which represents the whole of Korea.”
On the basis of this petition and concurrent discussions with the Coalition Committee, the draft ord was revised to meet the wishes of the committee insofar as compatible with maintaining our supreme authority and primary responsibility and releases were issued by Generals Hodge and Lerch stressing the latitude in law making to be allowed the Assembly. Finally on October 13 the organic order was promulgated and on the 18th General Lerch furnished the Coalition Committee with a written schedule for elections.
These elections of electors in the lowest voting subdivisions, who were to elect the electors for the next higher voting subdivision and so on up to the provincial level, began between October 17 and 22 according to province, and the election of the Assembly members was to be completed by the end of October. This has been done, and reports indicate the elections proceeded smoothly and without disorder of any kind. All Coalition Committee delegates proceeded to the provinces to observe the elections.
Immediately the Left took exception to the short notice given for elections, claiming their organizations in the provinces were unprepared for the campaigning, that their leaders were under detention by, or hiding from, the police in connection with the recent disorders, [Page 763] and that the provinces were too disturbed to allow for orderly elections, and asked for a postponement.
The Coalition Committee in degree upheld this request, but because of the pressing need to convene an Assembly of some kind, because the spadework for the election had already been done sometime previously by military government, and because the first Assembly is required by the ordinance immediately to enact a law to replace itself by early general elections according to more formal and representative procedures, the request has not been granted to date.
As the Department may be aware, the administrative officials of military government, because of the antagonism and virtual boycott of military government by the Left from the very beginning, are predominantly rightist. Thus the administrative preparations for the elections have been largely in their hands; and because of their tendency toward partisanship on the one hand and the disorganization and studied absence of interest in the elections by most of the local leftists on the other hand, it is a foregone conclusion that an overwhelming majority of rightist members will be elected.
General Hodge does not intend to take any action for the moment, but if the returns indicate virtual non-participation of leftists from the cases mentioned, he may consider compensation [compensating?] the Left by appointing a reasonable representation of leftists in the slate of candidates nominated to him by the Coalition Committee, which seems to be working harmoniously in this matter.
Returns up to the present indicate the election of many rightist[s] reputed by the Left to have been Japanese collaborators, whose ineligibility on this account under the ordinance must be passed upon by vote of their fellow Assemblymen. This is unlikely even with a majority of leftists among the appointed members, and General Hodge will probably be under heavy pressure to void the election and order a new one.
As for the date of convening the Assembly, it now awaits the submission of the slate of candidates for appointment, the appointment by General Hodge of such candidates, and possible action by General Hodge if the returns show and reports from the field show manipulation of the [elections?].
[The Assembly’s?] convening was originally scheduled for November 4 but on October 18 General Lerch stated to the press he hoped it would take place a month from now. The Department will be currently informed of the progress of the project.
- Not printed; it asked for information on Korean election plans (895.00/10–2646).↩