740.00119 Control (Korea)/6–1247: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Political Adviser in Korea (Jacobs)
123. Urtel5 giving combined advice on selection of Korean provisional Govt of great interest and value to Dept. We agree that selection of provisional Govt by electoral processes is desirable particularly from a policy viewpoint and therefore approve your taking initial position as indicated. Because of Soviet opposition and because Korean lack of experience in participation democratic elections presents obvious practical difficulties we realize you may have to recede from your initial position. In that event you should press for agreement to your first alternative providing for election of the provisional Govt by the joint action of the two existing zonal legislatures, due weight being given to the fact that the southern legislature speaks for over ⅔ of the Korean population. It is appreciated that the Russians may argue that the Moscow Agreement makes no provisions for the election of the provisional Govt and that you may finally be compelled to agree to appointment by the Joint Commission of the provisional Govt. In such case you should insist upon the system mentioned in your alternative 2 for a general election as soon as possible following the appointment of the Govt.
Following is for your background information. If no agreement for a general election of a provisional Govt is reached in the Joint [Page 676] Commission at the time its recommendations are referred to the four Govts for approval this Govt will insist upon agreement among the Four Powers, as a condition precedent to our approval, that definite provision be made for holding a general election at the earliest practicable date, such election to be either for a legislature which in turn will select a Govt or for direct election of the personnel of the Govt.
In taking the foregoing position Dept is fully aware of the validity of your estimate regarding political immaturity of Koreans and danger of their gravitation towards highly centralized Govt. We appreciate that sounder progress is made in implanting democracy in countries previously inexperienced in democratic methods by confining elections at first to selection of provisional and local legislative bodies and officials but it is feared that political exigencies will not permit of a long-term program at this time.
In case it becomes necessary that provisional Govt be appointed by Joint Commission personnel should be selected from among Korean leaders on a representative basis. At the time the Joint Commission makes such appointments it would be our intention to announce publicly that such Govt is in fact provisional and is to remain in office only until a Govt is selected by electoral processes. Possibility might then be considered of forming interim national legislature by fusion of two existing zonal legislatures. Such interim legislature to be charged with preparing regulations for elections as soon as possible of provincial legislatures and provincial and lower officials. At same time interim legislature should prepare for election of national legislature to be held as soon as practicable after elections of local bodies and officials. In all elections, local provincial and national, it should be made absolutely certain that they be carried out by secret ballot from freely chosen multi-party slates of candidates. In order that no charge can later be made of undue pressure from the outside such elections might well be supervised by a commission of the UN which would not include any nationals of the Four Powers signatory to the Moscow Agreement on Korea.
Dept would appreciate your comments on above suggestions in light of local conditions.