Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation, lot 64 D 199
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)
Subject:
- Fourth Meeting Between President Rhee and Secretary Dulles. President Rhee’s Residence.
Participants:
- ROK
- President Rhee
- Prime Minister Paik
- Foreign Minister Pyun
- Defense Minister Sohn
- Ambassador Limb
- Dr. Oliver (Adviser to President Rhee)
- Mr. Kim
- United States
- Secretary Dulles
- General Maxwell Taylor, Commanding General, Eighth Army
- Assistant Secretary Walter S. Robertson, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs
Secretary Dulles presented a draft proposed joint statement to be made by President Rhee and Secretary Dulles upon conclusion of the consultations. Secretary Dulles suggested that the Americans retire while the draft was under consideration by the Koreans. After approximately thirty minutes, we were called back into the conference. Certain [Page 1489] minor changes in the text suggested by Foreign Minister Pyun were accepted by the Secretary without discussion.
Foreign Minister Pyun then proposed the addition of a paragraph to the effect that it was agreed that the ROK has complete sovereignty over its domestic affairs, including the right to drive the Chinese Communist invaders from Korean soil. Secretary Dulles stated that it would be inconsistent for him to join in such a statement, as it would violate the position America had taken in urging United Nations action in the beginning, viz., that the invasion of South Korea was not a domestic civil war but a communist aggression threatening the peace of the world. It was on this very basis that the United Nations had intervened over the opposition of the Soviet bloc’s contention that the war in Korea was a purely domestic issue with which the United Nations had no concern. President Rhee and his advisers accepted this viewpoint, and the clause as now appearing in the joint statement was agreed upon.1
The Secretary’s draft of the Mutual Defense Treaty2 was presented and despite last ditch arguments and appeals by President Rhee for automatic military action was approved with minor changes in text.