Office of the Historian

Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation, lot 64 D 199

United States Summary Minutes of the Third Meeting of United States Republic of Korea Talks, July 29, 1954, 2:30 p.m.1

secret
Washington, August 2, 1954.

Participants

  • United States
  • The President
  • The Secretary of State
  • Ambassador Briggs
  • Mr. Drumright
  • Mr. Young
  • Mr. McClurkin
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • Admiral Radford
  • General Hull
  • Vice Admiral Davis
  • Mr. Stassen
  • Mr. Wood
  • Mr. Hagerty
  • Republic of Korea
  • President Rhee
  • Ambassador Yang
  • Ambassador Limb
  • Admiral Sohn Won-il
  • Paek Tu-chin
  • Dr. Choe Sun-chu
  • General Chong Il-kwon
  • General Kim Chong-yol
  • General Choe Tok-sin

1. Joint Statement and Draft of Agreed Minute

President Eisenhower commented that he was not certain a Joint Statement was necessary or desirable, but he was willing to accede to ROK wishes in this respect. He believed that it should be kept short.

Secretary Dulles said that decisions need to be taken with respect to economic and military matters—for example, the question of the exchange rate. Another very basic problem is the importance of better relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan. We have therefore prepared and given to the ROK just before the meeting a draft of an Agreed Meeting [Minute?] stating United States intentions and what we hope the ROK will be prepared to do.

It was agreed that a joint public statement would be issued on July 30, and that President Rhee and his advisers would study the draft of an Agreed Minute and discuss it further with Secretary Dulles and Secretary Wilson the next day.

[Page 1850]

President Rhee added that he was to depart on July 31, but could leave his military and economic advisers to discuss in more detail some of the questions covered by the Draft Minute.

2. President Rhee’s “Plan for Unification of Korea”

President Rhee said that he had wanted to reveal a plan he has for the unification of Korea to military authorities who would be competent to judge it. However, he had come to the conclusion that the suggestion would have value only if the United States is seriously considering any military measures to unify Korea. If at any time United States Government authorities think that something along these lines should be done, he would be glad to explain the plan which he has in mind.

President Eisenhower said that he certainly trusted that President Rhee’s interest in ROK forces was not for purposes of attack.

Secretary Dulles commented on a private conversation he had had with President Rhee in which mention had been made of a plan President Rhee had in mind. Secretary Dulles had said that the United States was not interested in taking the offensive, although our military men always planned ahead for any contingencies. For example, aggressive action elsewhere by others might lead to hostilities which in turn might involve action in Korea.

President Eisenhower said that in the event of hostilities the United States did not intend merely to defend a line.

[Here follows discussion on item 3. “Relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan”; for text, see volume XIV.]

  1. These summary minutes were drafted by McClurkin. The meeting took place at the White House.↩