Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Korea, Volume XV, Part 2

795.00/8–554: Telegram

The Chargé in Korea (Strom) to the Department of State

secret
priority

Seoul, August 5, 1954—5 p.m.

159. Repeated information Tokyo 96. Tokyo pass CINCUNC. Reference Department telegram 99.¹

Formal note delivered Prime Minister 3 p.m. today. Memorandum conversation being pouched.²

Prime Minister observed no more acts violence had occurred several days and felt he could assure me there would be no more. Said persons perpetrating actions might have been influenced by General Won Yong-dok’s statement July 30 but did not believe direct connection could be shown.

Prime Minister commented favorably on passage to effect Government of US intends find solution NNSC problems saying he considered this statement reassuring. He went on to make assertions regarding position military inferiority being forced on South Korea but [by?] unequal observation terms armistice. Concluded by reiterating his conviction there would be no more violence and by saying he would call General Won’s attention to contents note.

Atmosphere of conversation was most friendly throughout.

Korean Republic appeared 3 p.m. this afternoon carrying comment by Prime Minister on Secretary Dulles’ press statement August 3 to effect he was “glad” to hear Secretary agreed there is no need for neutral body to continue but saying he differed from Secretary’s view in that he considered armistice void because Geneva Conference failed achieve solution Korean unification problem. Korean Republic quoted Prime Minister as saying ROK will continue insist on this interpretation and he hoped “our Allies will come to agree with us”.³

Strom

1. In this telegram, Aug. 4, the Department instructed Strom to send a formal note, a text of which was included in the cable, to the ROK Foreign Ministry to protest the violence against the NNIT and to remind the South Korean Government of Rhee’s assurances to Dulles that Won Yong Duk’s threat would not be carried out. (795.00/8–454)
2. Not printed.
3. In telegram 165 from Seoul, Aug. 7, Strom reported that he had received a letter from Pyun stating that Won Yong Duk was under instructions from Rhee not to take the actions implied in his press statement of July 30 for the time being. (795.00/8–754)