97. Editorial Note
While in Seoul President Johnson also met with the Deputy Prime Minister on November 1, 1966. The following day he met again with President Pak for a farewell call and spoke briefly before the National Assembly. The Embassy reported that the President’s trip was highly successful in easing fears about the U.S. commitment to Korea and Vietnam and in bolstering relations between the United States and the Republic of Korea. (Telegrams 2461, November 4, and 2614, November 14, from Seoul; both in National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 US/JOHNSON) The texts of President Johnson’s public statements in Seoul as well as the joint communique released at the conclusion of his visit are in Department of State Bulletin, November 21, 1966, pages 770–780. The President’s statements are also in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1966, Book II, pp. 1283–1296.
Secretary of State Rusk and Assistant Secretary of State Bundy also accompanied President Johnson to Korea. Secretary Rusk held an unrecorded discussion with the Korean Prime Minister during a Presidential reception on November 1. The Prime Minister later mentioned to Ambassador Brown that he had discussed the possibility of using Korean veterans in Vietnam with Secretary Rusk. Assistant Secretary Bundy met with President Pak’s Protocol Secretary on November 2. (Telegram 2534 from Seoul, November 9; National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66,POL 7 US/JOHNSON)
Assistant Secretary Bundy also spoke with the Foreign Minister, who discussed the Korean items in the United Nations and indicated that the “ROK is strongly opposed to any invitation to North Koreans” and “would prefer even significant loss of votes on the items to any change in present tactics.” The Foreign Minister “cornered” Assistant Secretary Bundy during the departure ceremonies at the Seoul airport to give him a memorandum discussing the Korean view of the U.S. approach to the Korean items at the United Nations. (Telegrams 3346 and 3348 from Bundy in Tokyo, both November 4; both ibid., POL 7 US/BUNDY) To strengthen confidence that the United States continued its unequivocal support for Korea at the United Nations, the Department of State decided to revert to the traditional positions advocated by the Republic of Korea. (Telegram 85320 to the United Nations Mission in New York, November 15; ibid., POL 32–4 KOR/UN)