501.BB Korea/5–348
The Under Secretary of State (Lovett) to the Under Secretary of the Army (Draper)
My Dear Mr. Draper: I have received your letter of May 3, 1948 in which you state that recent developments regarding the implementation of the United Nations Resolutions on Korea are of some concern to the Department of the Army in anticipating developments during the coming months.
The central question which is raised by your letter, and particularly by the recommendation contained in the final paragraph thereof, is one which relates to the competence and the responsibilities of the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea in connection with its implementation of the program set forth in the second of the two Resolutions of November 14, 1947, within the framework of which the United States hopes during the course of the coming months to terminate its military commitment in Korea. The burden of your recommendation would seem to be that we should endeavor to minimize the participation of the UN and the Commission in that program lest there develop “complications which could jeopardize the contemplated withdrawal of US forces”.
The view of the Department of State with respect to this question is that the competence and responsibilities of the Commission in Korea remain operative until such time as the program set forth in paragraphs of the second Resolution, including arrangements for the withdrawal of occupying forces, has been carried out to the extent that circumstances permit. The stipulated role of the Commission in the implementation of that program is one of consultation, and [Page 1201] it is our view that that body should be encouraged rather than discouraged in its fulfillment of that role. This view is based on our conviction that the extent to which we may be successful in minimizing the possible ill effects of our withdrawal from Korea will depend in large measure upon the extent to which the authority of the UN is associated with the program of which that withdrawal is a part. The desirability of continued UN participation in the Korean problem was recognized in the policy paper on Korea (NSC 8 of April 2, 1948) recently approved by the President, in paragraph 3 e of which it is stated that “The US should encourage continued UN interest and participation in the Korean problem and should continue to cooperate with the UN in the solution of that problem”.
This Department is, however, entirely mindful of the considerations set forth in your letter, and would agree with you that we must keep those considerations constantly in mind if we are to give full effect to the additional provision of the same policy paper which states that “Every effort should be made to create conditions for the withdrawal of occupation forces by 31 December 1948”.
Sincerely yours,