795.00/4–3052
Memorandum by the Secretary of State to the President1
Subject:
- Letter from President Syngman Rhee, March 21, 1952
I am transmitting to you herewith President Syngman Rhee’s reply2 to your letter of March 4, 19523 in which you requested his assurances of the continued cooperation of the Government of the Republic of Korea with the United Nations Command. Although President Rhee gives assurances of his personal cooperation in any armistice which may be concluded, he points out that to be effective an armistice agreement must also receive the support of the Korean people. He suggests that in order to encourage such support, the United States and the Republic of Korea negotiate a mutual security pact at an early date and endeavor to speed up the expansion program for the Korean armed forces. I recommend that you do not reply to President Rhee’s letter but I believe that the points which he raises should receive our most careful consideration.
Although I believe that it would not be in our national interest to negotiate a mutual security pact at this time, I suggest that every opportunity to be taken to reassure the Korean Government and people that it is not the intention of the United States or of the United Nations to desert the Republic and thus leave it exposed to a renewed Communist aggression. So long as the United States and the United Nations retain adequate military forces in Korea there would seem to be no necessity for a formal security agreement. Prior to the withdrawal or large-scale reduction of forces, however, I would suggest that the entire question be reviewed by the National Security Council.
With regard to President Rhee’s recommendation for an accelerated military expansion program, the objectives of such a program are entirely [Page 186] in accord with the policy approved by you in NSC 118/2,4 to the effect that this Government should assist the Republic of Korea to increase her capabilities for assuming a greater responsibility for the defense of her boundaries. I believe that our endeavors in this direction should continue to be carried out as vigorously and rapidly as is consistent with our world wide commitments, in order that the Republics forces may play a considerably greater role in her own defense and thus in the maintenance of the security of the Far East. The Departments of State and Defense are maintaining close coordination on this problem and no action on your part is required at this time.
- This memorandum was drafted by Frelinghuysen of the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs and cleared by McClurkin and Young of that same office. It was then cleared by Matthews, Hickerson, and Johnson as well as Meloy of S/S. The memorandum went through a number of minor revisions, the history of which can be found in the following documents, none printed: memorandum by Young to Johnson, Apr. 8 (795.00/4–852); memorandum by Allison to Acheson, Apr. 18 (795.00/3–452); and memorandum by Walmsley to Matthews, Apr. 22 (795B.11/3–2752).↩
- The letter from Rhee was not filed with the source text. For text, see p. 114.↩
- Ante, p. 74.↩
- For text, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. vii, Part 1, p. 1382.↩