The outbreak of hostilities in Korea; response of the United States and the United Nations to events in Korea, June 24-30, 1950

Editorial Note on the Arrangement of Documents

The difference in local time between Seoul and Washington (EDT) was 13 hours; because they lay on different sides of the International Date Line, Korea from 12 midnight to 1 p.m. was one calendar day ahead of Washington.

The material is here arranged chronologically, as far as possible, according to Washington time. Incoming telegrams appear in order of the date and time of their receipt in Washington, which is indicated in the heading of the document. Outgoing telegrams are printed according to the time of their transmission from Washington.


[59] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[60] The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Korea

795.00/6–2450: Telegram


[62] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[63] The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Korea

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[65] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795B.5/6–2550: Telegram


[66] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[68] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[69] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[70] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

357.AD/6–2550: Telegram


[71] Memorandum of Teletype Conference, Prepared in the Department of the Army

795.00/6–2550


[72] The Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Kirk ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[73] The Acting Political Adviser in Japan ( Sebald ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[74] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

295.1122/6–2550: Telegram


[75] The Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Kirk ) to the Secretary of State

330/6–2550: Telegram


[76] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2650: Telegram


[79] The Ambassador in India ( Henderson ) to the Secretary of State

330/6–2550: Telegram


[80] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[81] The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[83] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

295.1122/6–2650: Telegram


[85] The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Korea

795.00/6–2550: Telegram


[86] Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador at Large (Jessup)

795.00/6–2550


[87] The Ambassador in Korea ( Muccio ) to the Secretary of State

795.00/6–2650: Telegram


[88] The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices

661.00/6–2550: Circular telegram

  1. The transmission time is supplied from information contained in the Department of the Army teletype conference, June 25, 8:44 a. m., p. 134.
  2. The time of transmission is supplied from a subsequent statement of Mr. Allison on events in Tokyo following the outbreak of hostilities in Korea (Korean Conflict).
  3. The cover sheet of the source text bore the following statement: “This is an Intelligence Report; nothing in it is to be construed as a statement of US or Departmental policy or as a recommendation of any given policy.”

    An attached memorandum, dated June 27, from W. Park Armstrong, Jr., Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Research and Intelligence, to William J. Sheppard, Deputy Director of the Executive Secretariat, stated that copies of this document were delivered in the late afternoon of June 25 to Dean Rusk, George F. Kennan, Counselor of the Department of State and Director of the Policy Planning Staff, and officials in the Bureau of Public Affairs.

  4. The Department of State record copy bears the date June. 25. In a memorandum to Mr. Noble dated August 21, however, Mr. Merchant, who drafted the telegram, indicated that it was reasonable to assume that the Coder Room had: mistakenly dated it June 25 rather than June 26. He added that he recollected drafting it in the evening of June 25 and sending, it to the code Room about midnight, which led him to believe that it had been transmitted at 1 a. m. on June 26 (795.00/6–2550). See also President Truman’s comment during the June 25th Blair House meeting on the need for making a survey of possible next moves by the Soviet Union, p. 160.