396.1 GE/5–1354: Telegram
The United States Delegation to the Embassy in Korea
niact
74. Repeated information Tokyo 58, niact Department Secto 200. Tokyo pass CINCUNC. Seoul for Briggs and Dean. Re Secto
196.1 Following is draft
basic proposal for unification of Korea:
Above draft being shown ROK Del this afternoon and substance will be discussed in working group of 9 Friday morning.2
Please discuss draft with Rhee, emphasizing following points:
- 1.
- As pointed out Secto 116,3 Molotov’s repudiation of principle UN supervision gives us opportunity for political victory in free world over Communists. It was consensus of 16 delegates at meeting today that we should now capitalize on this fact to present basic principles on which 16 insist unification must be based.
- 2.
- Draft emphasizes cardinal importance UN as basis progress for unification Korea through reference UN resolutions and requirement for supervision of elections and withdrawal forces by impartial UN body.
- 3.
- It provides that elections will be held in accordance with constitutional processes of ROK which would permit Rhee request amendment constitution for this purpose which he pointed out would be required if elections held subsequent to May 20 Assembly elections. Proposal also provides for continuation in effect of ROK constitution, another important ROK requirement.
- 4.
- It provides for representation in proportion to population throughout Korea, thus, rejecting concept of parity between North and South Korea contained North Korea proposal.
- 5.
- In accordance Tedul 52 (Seoul 907)4 formulation of provision re withdrawal forces generalized to avoid difficult question whether Chinese Communists should withdraw first or whether there should be concurrent withdrawal UN and Communist forces. (We are still [Page 266] considering language this paragraph in proposal and may wish modify it. Suggest you emphasize to Rhee that this language still tentative.) In generalizing language re withdrawal forces, we are seeking sidestep present differences between Rhee and us for purposes presentation proposal to conference and in conference discussion of proposal we intend insist that agreement must be reached first on method unification, i.e., UN supervision elections and representation related to population distribution before discussing detailed agreement re withdrawal since latter meaningless if no agreement on unification. In presentation to Rhee this strategy should be stressed as basis on which we can hope overcome present differences and yet agree on more positive allied note.