Matthews files, lot 53 D 413: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, United Nations Command (Clark) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
operational immediate
CX 63282. CGArEight exclusive for Taylor. CINCUNC Adv exclusive for Harrison. AmEmb Seoul exclusive for Briggs.
There follows a draft aide-mémoire handed me by President Rhee just prior to my departure from Seoul about noon today. This memorandum is forwarded for your information and your attention is invited to the [Page 1241] fact that it is a rough outline. I plan to provide Robertson and Collins copies and will discuss it in detail with them on their arrival in Tokyo tomorrow.
Kyung Mu Dai
June 22, 1953
confidential
Aide-mémoire (rough outlines)
“If and when the conditions set below be satisfied, the government of the Republic of Korea will review its present position on the Panmunjom armistice in the following manner.
- “a) It will not withdraw its armed forced from the United Nations Command for a unilateral action.
- “b) It will have nothing to do with the armistice, and therefore, will have no person of Korean nationality sign it as a member of the United Nations delegation to the armistice.
- “c) Any troop movements ordered by the United Nations Command and related to the implementation of the armistice terms will be carried out by the ROK units not because the armistice terms have been accepted by this government, which is not the case, but because the units are under the United Nations Command and have to obey its orders.
“Conditions
- “(1) The political conference after the signing of the armistice sit no longer than 90 days. If the period expires without the conferees agreeing upon the means of evacuating the Chinese Communist troops from Korea, to be completed within 60 days from the breaking up of the political conference and of effecting the reunification of Korea, to be implemented immediately after the evacuation of the Chinese from Korea, the armistice will become null and void. In that case, the ROK forces will advance north with the Air and Naval support by the United States.
- “(2) Before signing the armistice, the United States will enter into a mutual defense pact with the Republic of Korea, as I have already done with other nations of the Pacific Area.
- “(3) The United States will give this government an adequate military aid so as to build up the ROK Land, Sea and Air defense strength as well as economic aid required to rehabilitate the war-torn economy of Korea and set it on a self-sufficiency basis.
- “(4) No foreign armed force shall enter the Republic of Korea with a view to guarding prisoners of war, nor shall any Communist indoctrinators. This government agrees to the repatriation of those Communist Korean prisoners of war with the last minute screening to be participated in by official ROK representatives. This government will not concern itself with the disposition of the Chinese prisoners of war, except that no alien guards and Communist indoctrinators intended for them will be admitted into any part of this country. As regards the loyal (anti-Communist) Korean prisoners of war, who were fully entitled to a release by the Presidential order of June 18, 1953, the civilian status thus conferred will, under no circumstances, be tampered with. Those of them who are still in detention are left open for a short period [Page 1242] questioning, say 3 days, by an international body of inquiry as to their real intentions regarding their repatriation. Care should be taken not to pressure them in any manner, not to speak of indoctrination. They should be questioned where they are. The questioning should be as early as possible to ensure their earliest possible release.
“Additional suggestions
“No international agreement or understanding open or secret, without consultation with ROKA or participation of ROK.
“Industrialization of Korea so as to make Korea self-sufficient.
“Defense strength in Land, Sea and Air sufficient for its defense, equal to that of Japan. No foreign power to be allowed to encroach upon ROK sovereignty.
“When attacked, US would come in automatically to defend ROK even at risk of World War.
“When Korea attacks any neighbor nation unjustly or without cause US will not help Korea.
“During the political conference Communists are not to take any aggressive measures, false propaganda, ideological infiltration underground guerrilla activities.
“No Chinese or any other Communist reinforcements to be tolerated during political conference.
“The mutual defense pact should include an amity clause that when third party threatens the welfare of one of the contracting parties, the other contracting party will exercise its good offices in settling the issues amicably in favor of the former.”