396.1 GE/5–354

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Adviser to the United States Delegation (Calhoun)

confidential

Participants:

  • Foreign Minister Pyun, ROK Delegation
  • Ambassador Ben Limb, ROK Delegation
  • Ambassador Johnson, United States Delegation
  • Mr. Robertson, United States Delegation
  • Mr. Young, United States Delegation
  • Mr. Calhoun, United States Delegation

Subject:

  • ROK Intention to Submit New Proposal to Plenary Session, May 3.

Following a telephone conversation between Mr. Robertson and Foreign Minister Pyun in which Mr. Robertson sought to dissuade [Page 186] Dr. Pyun from including a specific new proposal in his speech to the Plenary on May 3, the above members of the American Delegation called on Dr. Pyun at his office.

Dr. Pyun opened the discussion by referring to Secretary Dulles’ statement regarding the withdrawal of forces from Korea and stressed the necessity for not tying together the withdrawal of Chinese Communist and UN forces. He cited the points he had made in his first statement on this subject and stated that he understood the Secretary supported this view. He said also that the ROK could not retreat from opposition to the proposed all-Korean Commission and must attack the North Korean proposal. He said that failure to attack it would damage the allied cause and he therefore could not keep silent.

Mr. Robertson observed that Dr. Pyun had missed the point which he was trying to make. He emphasized the importance in maintaining solidarity among the 16 allied delegations on the details of any proposals presented, pointing out that the Communists always have full solidarity on their side and we must not weaken our position by taking steps in the conference without advance notification to the other delegations. Any division among the 16 resulting from the submission of a new specific proposal would benefit only the Communists. Ambassador Johnson interjected that he thought there was a misunderstanding and that we were referring only to the six-point proposal with which Dr. Pyun intended to conclude his speech.

Dr. Pyun suggested as a possible solution that following the plenary session on May 3 he would have a press conference and state that the specific proposal in his speech was put forward by the ROK and not by the 16. He mentioned the Australian delegation statements as being another example of failure to consult among the 16 before presenting a new idea to the conference. He said that he did not wish to follow this example. He added that since his first statement the other 15 delegations had not indicated disagreement with the proposal introduced by him in general terms. He added that if we do not attack the North Korean proposal and submit additional proposals on our side, the Communists will think there is no objection to their proposal.

Ambassador Johnson emphasized that we all agreed in rejecting the Communist proposal and will support the ROK position generally. He pointed out that in the meeting of the 16 that morning Dr. Pyun had said nothing about his intention to submit a new proposal.

Following consultation with members of his own delegation, Dr. Pyun agreed to delete the specific proposal from his speech that afternoon.