740.00119 Control (Korea)/10–1348
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
Subject: Visit of the Korean Delegation
| Participants: | Dr. John M. Chang, Chief Korean Delegate |
| Mr. Chang Ki Yung, Alternate Korean Delegate | |
| Dr. Helen Kim, Korean Delegate | |
| Dr. Chun Kyu Hong, Korean Delegate | |
| The Secretary | |
| Mr. Joseph E. Jacobs |
This morning at 10:45 I received the above-mentioned members of the Korean Delegation who are here to present the case of the Government of the Republic of Korea before the General Assembly.
Mr. John M. Chang, the Chief Delegate, told me that he hoped the United States would, lend its support to full recognition of his Government. He added that when such recognition was accorded, Korea wished to apply for membership in UN. He expressed some concern over a request which the Secretary General had received from the North Korean regime to appear before the GA.
Dr. Helen Kim then expressed appreciation for the assistance which the United States had given to Korea, especially for bringing the Korean problem before the General Assembly last Autumn. She said she regretted that there had been some differences between her people and the United States on certain matters of policy.
In reply, I first explained confidentially how the existence of the 38th parallel military boundary come about: due to certain discoveries which were made in September 1945 concerning the attitude of the Japanese Commander-in-Chief in Korea.
I then said that the development of democracy in any country was slow and that the Koreans should not be too hasty. I cited my experience with the progress of democratic development in the Philippines, which I witnessed from its beginning to its conclusion in the establishment of an independent Philippines. I pointed out that it was necessary that the military security force in Korea be maintained as a purely military agency of the Government, completely subordinate to the civil branch of the Government. I said that it was important, therefore, that the leaders of the Korean Army be indoctrinated thoroughly with this principle. I added that I realized that the danger created by the presence of an antagonistic Communist North Korean armed force might make this problem more difficult.
We then turned to the subject of how the Koreans present felt with respect to the ability of the forces in South Korea to oppose those in [Page 1315] the North. Their views were rather vague but in a general way they felt that the South Koreans would resist the North Koreans, although Dr. Kim said many North Korean youths had become thoroughly indoctrinated with the Communist ideology and were ready to fight for it.
I assured the Delegation that the Korean problem was a matter of deep interest and concern to us and would be handled vigorously in the forthcoming consideration of that problem by the General Assembly.