357.AD/9–2650: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received September 26—8:17 p. m.]
615. The Secretary concurs with draft JCS directive contained Deptel 3171 but believes political guidance paragraph should be added as follows:
“As soon as the military situation permits, you should facilitate the restoration of the government of the Republic of Korea, with its capital in Seoul. Although the government of the Republic of Korea has been generally recognized (except by the Soviet bloc) as the only legal government in Korea, its sovereignty north of the 38th degree parallel has not been generally recognized. The Republic of Korea and its armed forces should be expected to cooperate in such military operations and military occupation as are conducted by United Nations forces north of the 38th degree parallel, but political questions such as the formal extension of sovereignty over North Korea should await action by the United Nations to complete the unification of the country.”