895.00/5–1049
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador in Korea (Muccio)1
| Participants: | President Rhee |
| Mr. Muccio | |
| General Roberts | |
| Mr. Drumright |
In the course of a call on President Rhee the afternoon of May 7, 1949, the President made reference to the recent military clash at Kaesong,2 saying that this incident had put him in a very difficult position. He said that although the situation at Kaesong was now fortunately quiet, a good many people had been importuning him to take strong action against the northern invaders.
Mr. Muccio stated that the incident at Kaesong was a most serious one, adding that General Roberts was setting up a board to investigate the causes therefor and the facts. At this point, President Rhee inquired whether there was any discrepancy in the statements issued by the Korean authorities with regard to the Kaesong incident. In response to this question, General Roberts asserted that on May 6th a unit of the Korean army had penetrated north across the parallel to a depth of four kilometers and had shot up several settlements. General Roberts went on to say that perhaps the reports he was receiving were inaccurate. In view of this possibility, he was therefore setting up an investigation board to ascertain the facts.
Mr. Muccio pointed out that there is a United Nations Commission in Korea. Mr. Muccio went on to say it would be most unfortunate if the United Nations Commission got the impression that the Korean military forces were embarking on an aggressive policy. If such a report got back to Lake Success, Mr. Muccio continued, it would create a bad impression on the forty-eight nations which have been supporting the Republic of Korea.
The President stressed the strategic importance of Kaesong. He said that the Korean Government could not yield inch by inch at Kaesong or elsewhere. “We will not move away from Kaesong. We will not yield inch by inch. If we retreat we might as well quit now”, the President asserted in a very firm and categorical manner. The President went on to say that he did not believe that his boys had gone across the 38th parallel. They had merely defended themselves against attack from the north. After some further brief discussion of the Chunchon incident, which involved the defection of approximately three hundred Korean soldiers to the north,3 the President again stressed the fact that the Korean Government must stand firm against Communist aggression. In response to these repeated statements Mr. Muccio stated that the United States supported the Korean Government firmly on its defensive measures. But should the Korean Government resort to aggressive measures, Mr. Muccio said he wished to point out that the U.S. could not be of any assistance in this regard. At this point the President reiterated his belief that his soldiers had not crossed the parallel or committed any act of aggression. The President [Page 1018] defended the reports submitted by the Korean army on the Kaesong incident and expressed confidence that they were accurate. Before closing the conversation President Rhee reiterated again and again the statement that his army would not resort to aggressive measures, would not cross the 38th parallel, would not provoke clashes with the North Korean forces, but would defend itself against all attacks.