740.00119 Control (Korea)/12–2746: Telegram
The Political Adviser in Korea (Langdon) to the Secretary of State
priority
[Received December 31—3 p.m.]
148. Summary of conditions December 1 through 15. Political: The big political event of the period was the final inauguration on December 12 of the South Korea Interim Legislative Assembly. The list of 45 appointive members submitted by the Coalition Committee was revised by Gen Hodge and finally announced on the 7th and letters of appointment issued to those members. Only one of these is a Rhee follower, the rest being mainly moderates in either Rightist or Leftist camp with some representatives of the professional classes, religious groups, etc. On the 9th a crisis arose when the Han Kook [Page 781] Minju Dang (Korean Democratic Party) or Rhee’s followers announced 17 elected members would boycott the Legis Assembly unless either the inaugural date were postponed until after the elections in the two districts in which the elections had been voided, or those voided elections be validated. In the face of this challenge Gen. Hodge had no alternative but to declare the inaugural ceremony would proceed as scheduled and cause the acting military governor to be ready to amend the organic law of the Assembly to provide that half of the members instead of three fourths would constitute a quorum (which was done as soon as it was definitely known that the threatened boycott would be carried out). Popular demand was to get the legislature opened, and to have delayed the opening would in all probability result in complete sabotage of the entire effort. At a preliminary meeting on the 11th the members ready to serve assembled and elected Dr. Kim Kyu Sik Chairman and at the inaugural meeting 57 members attended and were sworn in. (Out of a total of 84 since the 6 voided seats are still to be filled.) Besides the 17 Han Kook members, 3 Rightist and 5 Leftist appointive members, including Lyuh Woon Hyung, as well as the only 2 People’s Committee candidates elected (from Coeju Island) were absent. These last were flown to Seoul but disappeared since, the assumption being that the Democratic People’s Front had forbidden their attendance. Notwithstanding this disappointing start, the inaugural meeting took place impressively and excited much public interest and gratification. After reading congratulatory messages from Secretary of State, Acting Secretary of State and General MacArthur as well as messages from the American Commands, drafting replies thereto and organizing preparatory committees, the opening meeting recessed to the 20th. The replies to congratulatory messages, as well as new messages of greetings to heads of interested friendly powers, handed to us for transmission, expressed an exaggerated idea, obviously calculated, of the Assembly’s legal position and powers and had to be returned to the Assembly for redrafting in line with facts and realities. Referring to the general calibre of the members, Dr. Kim observed that they were largely quite unschooled in administration and government. By the 15th the boycotting Han Kook Minju Dang members had indicated their desire to take their seats and negotiations to that end were under way, but Lyuh and the Leftist and 3 appointive Rightists still held aloof.
Syngman Rhee left by air for Washington on December 4 with what has proven to be intent to fight the Moscow decision before the American public and if possible before UN Assembly. His public statements since have received much attention locally while the Soviet press criticizes US for the travel accommodations furnished him, including [Page 782] stay at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, reserved for high allied personnel (actually he was a pay-passenger). In Tokyo he called on General MacArthur. After arrival, he radioed General MacArthur that we had appointed Communists to legislative assembly.
On December 5 Lyuh announced in moving self-deprecatory terms that he was retiring from public life. Actually he has since been working to rebuild his old People’s Party or salvage the recently formed Socialist Labor Party of grouping of non-Pak Heun Yung Leftists. Meanwhile the South Korea Labor Party, or latest regrouping of radical Leftists, is building up its organization under the chairmanship of Hu Hun (Pak Heun Yung, still in hiding from our arrest warrant, is vice chairman). Hu offered to General Hodge assurances of party responsibility and respectability and has been granted the usual office space and other facilities accorded political parties by Military Government. In the Right Wing the rivalry between Chungking repatriates and Rhee’s followers became more distinct and there promises to be a fight between them for the 3 voided seats of the Seoul Electoral District. The Leftists are taking no part in this campaign. On the 5th, 83 Han Kook members quit the party on the charge that it protected the privileged classes and toadied to the US. With the coming into being of the Legislative Assembly, General Hodge invited the Representative Democratic Council to dissolve and measures to that end were taken by Military Government. For the same reason the Joint Korean-American Conference to look into the causes of the October disturbances disbanded, while the Coalition Committee published a valedictory reviewing its achievements and stating that Lyuh would continue to work for Northern and Southern unification and for reconvening of the Joint Commission and in the Legislative Assembly for land reform, labor laws, release of political prisoners, elimination of terrorism and freedom of speech, press and assembly.
In answer to the recommendations made by the Joint Korean-American Conference, General Hodge announced on December 5th that the following corrective action had been initiated: Military Government was directed to improve the efficiency of the police and to search Korean personnel records for “former Japanese collaborators”, reenforcement of inspection system to prevent corruption of public officials, trial of ring leaders in recent riots.
US [As?] anti-climax to the recent trial of Communist counterfeiters who were found guilty and sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment, it was announced on December 4 that the Korean defense attorneys may be tried for malicious statements made by them during and after the trial.
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