Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XIX, Part 1, Korea, 1969–1972

4. National Security Study Memorandum 34¹

Washington, March 21, 1969.

TO

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Director of Central Intelligence

SUBJECT

• Contingency Planning for Korea

The President has directed the preparation of a contingency planning study for Korea. This study should examine possible U.S. actions in light of an outbreak of hostilities due to limited or full scale attacks by North Korea or unilateral South Korean responses to North Korean provocation. As directed in the guidelines for contingency planning, this paper should include a careful orchestration of political and military actions.

The East Asian Interdepartmental Group should perform this study and forward it to the Review Group by April 25, 1969.²

Henry A. Kissinger

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 365, Subject Files, National Security Study Memoranda, Nos. 1–42. Secret. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of USIA.
2. An interagency Korean Task Force was established to prepare the study. Headed by Winthrop G. Brown, it included members from the Departments of State and Defense and CIA.