895.00/2–2448: Telegram
Lieutenant General John R. Hodge to the Secretary of State
Zgcg 225. Pass to Jacobs. Reference is made to State Seoul 52, February 20.1
[Page 1130]I have just identified AP story about which complaint is made through its appearance in Stars and Stripes. Believe it stems from fact that Roberts of AP saw me late Friday afternoon February 20 on the plea of admitting he has been off the beam on his earlier story indicating that the Communist government for all Korea was fait accompli and requesting my assistance in getting his thinking straight. He had been absent from the conference of 16 February and had written from second hand information, so I agreed to discuss informally and entirely off the record certain aspects of North Korean developments. Mention of Menon’s comment was Roberts’ statement that apparently Roberts’ original story had caused some misunderstanding, to which I agreed. Certainly there was nothing said to bear out that it was an “interview on or tied to Menon’s statement” or that I had in any way criticized or was quarreling with Menon’s opinion. The story he wrote, particularly tying it to an interview on Menon’s statement, appears to be a definite breach of confidence.
However, it seems appropriate in this connection to summarize briefly for your information certain recent events that present themselves for analysis of Soviet intentions and that cannot be brushed aside. These are as follows:
- A.
- The 8 February fiesta at Pyongyang was in celebration of the second anniversary of the establishment of the Communist government set up in North Korea under the “great leader” Kim Il Sung. There can be no question from all the mass of evidence, but that there is a separate Korean Government of North Korea which is a going concern, and that it is the North Korean development of the “Korean People’s Republic” which we encountered taking over governmental functions in South Korea when the occupation started.
- B.
- Within a few days after the UN General Assembly passed the Resolutions on Korea, the North Korean Radio (official voice) released a strong barrage against the UN Commission entering Korea and the North Korean Government openly announced that a drafting committee was being assembled to draw up a constitution for a Korean government with many side announcements by official spokesmen that the constitution would be for all of Korea united. The United States occupation was attacked because it had refused to recognize the Korean People’s Republic people’s committees existing in the southern zone when we arrived in September 1945.
- C.
- On 8 February, the Korean People’s Army was unveiled to the world in connection with the second anniversary celebration of the North Korean Government. The army was physically presented by review of a large representative force. Official speakers for the occasion eulogized it as the army for all Korea and called upon South Koreans to accept it as their army.
- D.
- South Korean Communists were ordered to carry out a general strike and sabotage program for three days 7–9 February coincidental with the 8 February celebration. This was praised by North Korean Radio as an “uprising of the people”.
- E.
- On 10 February the North Korean Government broadcast to the people for study and discussion the draft of a new constitution which in its details of wording leave no question but that it is intended as the national constitution of all Korea. Preceding this step, coincidental with it and following it have been official statements that it will be approved around mid-March.
- F.
- Official broadcasts since 10 February, further eulogize the Korean Army and go to great length to describe the scores of meetings of the people to discuss and praise the new constitution.
From the foregoing, there can be but one conclusion, namely, that the Soviets are moving rapidly to transform the de facto North Korean Communist Government of North Korea into a “national” Korean government that can and may be recognized by at least some of the satellite states as the Government of Korea. A corollary conclusion drawn from the timing of these events cannot but be that this move is in direct defiance against UN authority to take action in the Korean case. There seems little doubt but that these steps will be carried on to conclusion. Even if UN should withdraw from the local scene, the official stand in North Korea is so far committed that it would be well nigh impossible to recant, and the completion of the maneuver can be used as an added means to bring pressure on the United States to meet the Soviet mutual withdrawal proposal and to hamper our efforts at stabilization in South Korea along lines presented in previous messages on this subject.
- Not printed.↩