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

99. Memorandum From President Nixon to Secretary of Defense Laird¹

Washington, July 10, 1971.

SUBJECT

• NSDM 113

I have carefully considered your June 26, 1971, memorandum on Republic of Korea (ROK) forces in South Vietnam.² My decision reported in NSDM 113 that the U.S. will support the continued presence of two ROK divisions through CY 1972 is reaffirmed. This decision should be conveyed to the South Vietnamese and Republic of Korea governments.

I agree that it would be timely and appropriate to consider the issue of further ROK redeployments after the 1971–72 dry season in South Vietnam, and I would welcome your suggestions and those from MACV on how additional resources might be used to improve the security situation in South Vietnam.

Richard Nixon

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–224, National Security Decision Memoranda, NSDM 113. Top Secret; Sensitive. Attached to a July 6 memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon in which Kissinger analyzed Laird’s views and concluded that “while the Secretary’s reasoning is troublesome,” his specific recommendations were generally consistent with NSDM 113. Kissinger recommended that Nixon send the memorandum to Laird. NSDM 113 is Document 96.
2. Document 97.