Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Korea, Volume VII

Resolution Adopted by the United Nations Security Council, June 25, 1950¹

June 25, 1950

The Security Council

Recalling the finding of the General Assembly in its resolution of 21 October 1949² that the Government of the Republic of Korea is a lawfully established government “having effective control and jurisdiction over that part of Korea where the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea was able to observe and consult and in which the great majority of the people of Korea reside; and that this Government is based on elections which were a valid expression of the free will of the electorate of that part of Korea and which were observed by the Temporary Commission; and that this is the only such Government in Korea”;

Mindful of the concern expressed by the General Assembly in its resolutions of 12 December 1948³ and 21 October 1949 of the consequences which might follow unless Member States refrained from acts derogatory to the results sought to be achieved by the United Nations in bringing about the complete independence and unity of Korea; and the concern expressed that the situation described by the United Nations Commission on Korea in its report menaces the safety and well being of the Republic of Korea and of the people of Korea and might lead to open military conflict there;

Noting with grave concern the armed attack upon the Republic of Korea by forces from North Korea,

Determines that this action constitutes a breach of the peace,

I. Calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities; and

Calls upon the authorities of North Korea to withdraw forthwith their armed forces to the thirty-eighth parallel;

II. Requests the United Nations Commission on Korea

(a) To communicate its fully considered recommendations on the situation with the least possible delay;

(b) To observe the withdrawal of the North Korean forces to the thirty-eighth parallel; and

(c) To keep the Security Council informed on the execution of this resolution;

III. Calls upon all Members to render every assistance to the United Nations in the execution of this resolution and to refrain from giving assistance to the North Korean authorities.⁴

1. U.K. document S/1501. This resolution was adopted shortly before 6 p. m. at which time the 473rd meeting concluded. The vote was 9 in favor to 0 opposed, with 1 member abstaining (Yugoslavia) and 1 member absent (U.S.S.R.).
2. Text in Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. vii, Part 2, p. 1090.
3. Text in Department of State Bulletin, December 19, 1948, p. 760; for related documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. vi, pp. 1079 ff.

4. Following the adoption of this resolution, the Security Council voted upon a draft resolution presented by the Yugoslav representative (Nincic), which read as follows (S/1500):

   “The Security Council

   “Noting with grave concern the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, and anxious to obtain all the necessary information enabling it to pass judgment on the merits of the case,

   “Calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of forces,

   “Invites the Government of North Korea to state its case before the Security Council.”

   The Yugoslav draft resolution failed of adoption by a vote of 1 (Yugoslavia) in favor, to 6 (including the U.S.) opposed, with 3 (Egypt, India, Norway) abstentions, and 1 member absent (U.S.S.R.).

   During the 473rd meeting, the Security Council had allowed, without objection, the representative of the Republic of Korea (Chang) to take a place at the Council table.