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

795B.5/9–154: Telegram

The Ambassador in Korea (Briggs) to the Department of State

secret
priority

Seoul, September 1, 1954—9 p.m.

254. Repeated information Tokyo 164, Manila 10. Manila for USDel. Tokyo for General Hull. Re Embtel 253¹ to Department repeated information Tokyo 163, Manila 9.

Prime Minister Pyun has just sent following letter addressed to Secretary Dulles re NNSC:

“September 1, 1954

“My dear Mr. Secretary: It is long established fact that while rightful operations in North Korea of Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission are actually paralyzed by forcible Communist interference, Communist members of the Commission, stepping over their assigned functions, are carrying on espionage and propaganda activities in South Korea on dangerous scale. Sometime ago, therefore, this government was compelled to announce it would take appropriate action unless NNSC left country voluntarily.

“You issued statement that United States would take measures to get NNSC out of Korea and this government, highly appreciating your timely announcement, decided to hold its unilateral action pending working out of means to achieve our common desire. Since then, weeks have elapsed without seeing anything done towards termination of NNSC activities in South Korea, to the ever-increasing peril to our security. Our enemy in North Korea is fully prepared for another all out attack, which may come at moment. Under this worsening situation, we cannot afford to suffer the continued presence of NNSC, including dangerous Communist members. This government has, therefore, decided to ask NNSC to leave the country within a week of our notification. Since this is merely an action to follow up what both our governments publicly expressed as their common position on the matter, I earnestly believe and hope that you will give this government full cooperation such as will bring our common objective to fulfillment.

“With warmest personal regards. Yours sincerely, Y. T. Pyun, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister”.

As indicated reference telegram I have considerable sympathy ROK position this matter, which as Pyun points out they have long had under discussion with us. They now demand action and it seems to me they are entitled to it.

I accordingly urgently recommend that authority to act already sought by General Hull be forthwith granted him. Otherwise there is real danger ROK attempting unilateral action, or at least embarrassing us by renewed agitation or violence.²

Briggs

1. Supra.
2. In telegram 176 to Seoul, Sept. 3, the Department of State informed Briggs that a formal reply to Pyun’s letter of Sept. 1 would be sent. In the meantime, Briggs was to tell Pyun that Washington was deeply concerned about the announced ROK intention of forcing the NNSC to leave South Korea. Such threats only impeded U.S. efforts to get the Swedes and the Swiss to withdraw voluntarily from the NNSC. (795B.5/9–154)