Korea


261. Memorandum Prepared in the Department of State

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Standing Group Meetings, 5/18/62-8/3/62. Confidential. Drafted by Macdonald for use at the NSC Standing Group meeting at 3 p.m. on May 18. The Standing Group, an interagency group, was the precursor of the more significant EXCOM (Executive Committee) of the National Security Council, which came into ad hoc existence during the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 and was later formalized.


262. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Brubeck) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 6/62. Confidential. The Department of State copy of this memorandum indicates Elmer Hulen of FE/EA is the drafter; Yager, Rice, and Harriman cleared in draft; and Robert M. Winfree of G/PM cleared in final. (Department of State, Central Files, 795B.5/6-1162)


263. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 3/62-7/62. No classification marking. Copies were sent to Taylor and Kaysen.


264. Memorandum of Discussion at a Department of State-Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting

Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 69 D 121, State-JCS Minutes. Top Secret. A note on the cover sheet indicates the memorandum was a Department of State draft, not cleared with the Department of Defense.


265. Memorandum From the President’s Military Representative (Taylor) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 3/62-7/62. Secret.


266. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Korean Security, 1961-1963. No classification marking.


267. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Japan

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 694.95B/7-1362. Secret. Drafted by Macdonald; cleared by Yager, Peterson, Rice, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs Philip H. Trezise, and in draft by Janow; and approved by McGhee. Also sent to Seoul as telegram 40 and repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD and Paris for USRO.


268. Telegram From the Embassy in Korea to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/7-2062. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Tokyo and CINCPAC for POLAD.


269. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/7-2462. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Macdonald.


270. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795.00/7-2662. Top Secret. Drafted by Seymour Weiss of G/PM. A note on the source text indicates Rusk saw the memorandum.


271. Telegram From the Embassy in Korea to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95B/7-2762. Secret; Limit Distribution.


272. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Korea

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95B/7-2762. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Macdonald; cleared by Yager, U. Alexis Johnson, and Rice; and approved by Harriman.


273. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 8/62-3/63. Secret. Copies were sent to David Bell, Kaysen, Hansen, and Forrestal.


274. Letter From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.65311/8-2862. Top Secret.


275. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INR/EAP Files: Lot 90 D 110, SNIE 42-2-62. Secret. According to a note on the cover sheet, the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, and the Joint Staff participated in the preparation of this estimate. All members of the USIB concurred with this estimate on September 7 except the representatives of the AEC and the FBI, who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction.


276. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.56311/8-2862. Top Secret. Drafted by Wallace C. Magathan of G/PM and cleared by Peterson, Allen S. Whiting of INR, Joseph J. Wolf of AID, and “informally” by William Bundy of DOD/ISA.


277. Paper Prepared by the President’s Military Representative (Taylor)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, FE Trip September 1962, T-022-69. Top Secret. After being confirmed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on August 9, but before taking up his post on October 1, Taylor took a trip to the Far East from August 31 to September 21. He explains in his memoirs, Sword and Plowshares, pp. 256-259, that it was a “refresher visit” and an examination of U.S. political-military policy in a key area threatened by the growing power of the People’s Republic of China. Taylor visited Japan, Korea, Taiwan, South Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia.


278. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 8/62-3/63. Top Secret.


279. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 8/62-3/63. Top Secret. A copy was sent to Forrestal.


280. Memorandum of Conversation Between the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen) and the Korean Ambassador (Il Kwon Chung)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95B/10-962. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Kaysen.


281. Memorandum of Conversation Between President Kennedy and the Korean Ambassador (Il Kwon Chung)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.95B/10-962. Confidential. Drafted and initialed by Kaysen.


282. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 694.95B/10-2962. Secret. Drafted by Yager and approved in S on November 7. On October 27 Harriman sent Rusk a briefing memorandum for this meeting stressing that the Secretary should encourage ROK-Japanese negotiations on outstanding issues, better Korean use of U.S. assistance, and the return to civilian government and free elections. (Ibid., 694.95B/10-2762)


283. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/10-2962. Secret. Drafted by Yager.


284. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 8/62-3/63. No classification marking. Apparently attached to this memorandum was a memorandum from Clifton to Smith, October 17, indicating that the President read the Forrestal memorandum, but that in light of a letter from Van Fleet (see footnote 1 below) he wanted to see Kim Chong-p’il, barring recommendations to the contrary. A note, apparently by Clifton, on this memorandum states that Forrestal “strongly opposes appointment. The A.G. [Attorney General] is seeing him. The Korean’s reputation is not good.” (Ibid.)


285. Airgram From the Embassy in Korea to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/12-762. Secret. Drafted by Berger and Habib. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD and sent with instructions to pass to the Department of Defense.


286. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Korea

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/1-2463. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Yager, cleared in draft with Rice, and approved by Harriman.


287. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Korea

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795B.00/1-2662. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Norred and approved by Harriman. Repeated to Tokyo and CINCPAC for POLAD.


288. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Japan, 2/63. Confidential.


289. Telegram From the Embassy in Korea to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files,POL 12 S KOR. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Tokyo and CINCPAC for POLAD. Michael Forrestal sent a copy of this telegram to the President noting: “The political situation in Korea is reaching disturbing proportions.” Forrestal wrote that telegram 561 summarized the situation, and that Harriman was in the process of formulating recommendations. When this was done, Forrestal would arrange a meeting with the President to hear the recommendations and the advice of other interested Departments. (Memorandum from Forrestal to Kennedy, February 14; Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Korea, General, 8/62-3/63)


290. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Korea

Source: Department of State, Central Files,POL 14 S KOR. Secret: Niact; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Norred, cleared by Yager, and approved by Harriman. Repeated to Tokyo and CINCPAC for POLAD.