795.00/7–2153
The Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the President of the Republic of Korea (Rhee)1
My Dear Mr. President: My two and one-half weeks in Korea gave me new understanding of Korea’s problems and concern for the future. Our frank and friendly conversations had, I felt, removed many misunderstandings which marred our relationship. I was therefore particularly shocked and distressed at the new misunderstanding arising on the day of my departure.
You and I had agreed that, in order to avoid the confusion and misinterpretations which might arise from separate statements, we would issue a joint statement to be released simultaneously in Seoul and Washington and which would represent our respective official public comment on the result of our negotiations. After agreeing on the text, Foreign Minister Pyun advised that in order that there be time for translation into the Korean language for release to the Korean press you requested that this joint statement not be published by either government before ten o’clock Sunday morning, July 12, Korean time. I was therefore greatly shocked upon being advised by newsmen as I left your residence after our warm and friendly farewells that you had issued a separate statement through Mr. Lucas, of the Scripps-Howard newspapers, which had already been published in America in Saturday afternoon’s newspapers. You were quoted as saying you would observe the truce for only 90 days. Such a limitation meant that you would not even wait for the convening of the political conference to negotiate the peaceful unification of Korea. Of course I realized from your assurances to us that Lucas had misunderstood and misquoted you,2 but the world did not. This separate statement of yours, with its misquotation and being published as it was the day before, completely vitiated whatever good effects might have resulted from our official joint statement. It also caused the widest confusion and speculation, and gave rise to a flood of statements attributed to officials of both governments regarding what each had gained from the other. The tenor of these statements [Page 1412] was completely at variance with the spirit of our conversations and the avoidance of all vain claims in our joint statement. I have been embarrassed at some of the statements attributed to US official sources as well as worried by some of those attributed to yours. I feel sure there must be some explanation of Foreign Minister Pyun’s binding me to a release date at a time when your separate statement had already been issued.
Upon arriving in Washington I reported immediately to President Eisenhower and Secretary Dulles. They were both very much pleased with our wide area of agreement and with the friendly relationship established as a basis for our discussions. I also reported to the Foreign Relations and the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Congress. I later made a report to the American people. In all my reports regarding Korea, I have endeavored to discuss your problems with the sincere sympathy of a friend who had learned of them at firsthand. I have received in return only friendly responses.
The Tasca recommendations for economic aid have received the approval of the Planning Board and are now before the National Security Council. With the approval of President Eisenhower and Secretary Dulles already expressed, there is no reason to doubt NSC approval within the next few days.
The President stands by the US commitment to withdraw from the political conference under the circumstances set forth in my aide-mémoire of July 2.3 He does not wish to curtail his liberty of action to take whatever steps may be indicated by the conditions existing, at the time of withdrawal. As you have already been advised in a separate telegram,4 Secretary Dulles is ready to meet with you at an early date to shape joint plans for the political conference to come. It is desirable that this meeting take place before a meeting of the General Assembly is called to consider the political conference.
The text of the mutual defense treaty is now under consideration here. A new draft will be submitted for your consideration. As previously indicated, the treaty will follow the line of those now outstanding with the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand, with modification of language to correspond in some respects with our Treaty with Japan.
I deeply appreciated the heartwarming courtesies extended me on the day of my departure and I sincerely trust we can continue our full collaboration as friends and allies in the achievement of our common objective.
With warm regards for you and Madam Rhee,
Sincerely yours,
- This letter was transmitted to Seoul for delivery to Rhee in telegram 52, July 21, 1953, 8:10 p.m., and repeated to Pusan as telegram 61 and to Tokyo for Clark as 199. It was drafted by Robertson.↩
- Philip Han, the Counselor of the Korean Embassy in Washington, called on Robertson on the morning of July 21 to explain that, according to Rhee, Lucas had been “unethical” in publishing an article based on an interview given for background purposes before the joint communiqué was released. (Memorandum of conversation, by Robertson, July 21, 1953; 795.00/7–2153)↩
- Transmitted in Army message 021750Z from Seoul, July 3, p. 1312.↩
- See Dulles–Robertson message to Rhee, July 21, transmitted to Seoul in telegram 50, p. 1407.↩