124. Memorandum From John H. Holdridge of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)1
SUBJECT
- ROK Forces in South Vietnam
The ROK Foreign Minister presented Ambassador Habib with an aide mémoire concerning the retention of ROK forces in South Vietnam and also discussed the issue on February 4 (Tab A).2 Essentially, he made the following points:
- —The two ROK divisions will remain in South Vietnam until May 1972. At that time, they will begin to withdraw unless the ROK receives from the U.S. adequate assurances of logistical support and equipment.
- —The ROK Defense Minister will go to South Vietnam on February 8 to prepare contingency plans for the withdrawal of the two divisions. Presumably he will also discuss the ROK requirements for the retention of the two divisions with General Abrams, who is already conferring with the ROK’s about the types of equipment needed.
Ambassador Habib concludes that we must soon decide just how far we are prepared to go to meet ROK requests for military support.
[Page 316]Comment
At the Vietnam Ad Hoc Working Group meeting on February 4, Ambassador Sullivan announced that you had asked him to effect the necessary coordination on retaining the ROK divisions. As soon as General Abrams reports on the specifics of the ROK request, Sullivan will coordinate and forward a report on them.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 543, Country Files, Far East, Korea, Vol. V, 1 Jan–31 Dec 1972, Part 2. Top Secret; Nodis. Sent for information. Haig wrote the following note for Holdridge on the bottom and top of the page: “2/8/72—John, Let’s consider in coord. w/Abrams, Defense, + State what must be done to keep this miss[ion] intact including if necessary a Presidential msg to Park—this is urgent. Please call me. AH”.↩
- Attached but not printed. The text of the Foreign Minister’s aide-mémoire was also transmitted in telegram 695 from Seoul, February 4.↩