740.00119 Control (Korea)/10–147: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union
1883. ReEmbtel 2960 Oct 1. Following reply should be made to Soviet note dated Sept 30:
[“] Reference Min FonOff’s note dated Sept 30, investigation has been completed by appropriate US authorities re two specific incidents which were subject of Ministry’s protest.
Ministry’s note refers to incident on Sept 6, 1947 in Seoul, Korea in building where Joint Soviet-American Commission for Korea works when, it was stated, attempt was made by Am sentries to search employee of Sov Del, Pak Tsi Seb.
Facts regarding this incident as revealed by Am investigation are as follows: The Am soldier on guard at entrance of building where both Am and Sov Dels have their offices, had instructions to search, if necessary, Korean laborers leaving building. On this occasion the Am guard observed a Korean leaving building with number of papers under his coat. The Am soldier stopped Korean, turned back his coat and found that papers were in either Korean or Russian language. Upon being refused permission to leave premises, Korean immediately returned to building where he found Capt. Phillips of Am Del, who recognized Korean as Pak Tsi Seb of Sov Del and who, in company with interpreter, accompanied Pak Tsi Seb back to guard at entrance where he learned what had happened and where he explained to Pak Tsi Seb through interpreter why guard had stopped him. Pak Tsi Seb appeared satisfied by this explanation and was immediately permitted to depart.
Second incident mentioned in Min’s note refers to arrest of two interpreters of Sov Del, Geracim Lee Pak and Ki Hyun Yang, on Sept 21, at 3 pm. It is alleged in Sov note that in spite of fact that two interpreters, Geracim Lee Pak and Ki Hyun Yang, presented their cards of identity issued by Am Secretariat of Joint Commission and signed by Chief of Am Mil police, one of police struck Ki Hyun Yang after which both interpreters, under threat of arms, were made [Page 847] to sit in Am Mil Police car and were taken to Am Police station where they were detained for 3 hours and were photographed, interrogated and subjected to insulting search.
Facts of this incident as developed through investigation by appropriate Am authorities reveal that on Sept 21 two Koreans, who had been acting in suspicious manner, were stopped on street in Seoul for questioning by Am Mil police. They refused to be questioned and presented no identification documents. They were then induced to enter Am jeep during course of which one of Koreans, who later turned out to be Ki Hyun Yang, bumped his nose on jeep top frame which later led to a claim that he had been beaten.
At Am headquarters two Koreans were searched. There was found on Geracim Lee Pak identification card issued by Am Provost Marshal to V. I. Petonov, Russian adviser to Sov Del. There were found on Ki Hyun Yang two passes in Russian language, one issued by Mr. Maslov of Sov Del stating that Ki Hyun Yang was member of that Del, and a second stating that Ki Hyun Yang was member of Sov Mil Service employed as interpreter to Chief of Mil Censorship. Neither had pass issued by Am Provost Marshal as is required and as was admitted by General Shtikov in his exchange of letters with General Hodge. The two men were detained approx 45 minutes and not 3 hours as stated in Min’s note.
In view of facts cited above from which it is apparent that Am Mil police acted only in the performance of their routine duty and since in case of Geracim Lee Pak and Ki Hyun Yang they were without required identification passes issued by Am Provost Marshal, my Gov is unable to accept contention of Sov Gov that actions of Am authorities in South Korea were in any way a violation of existing standards of international law.[”]
Repeated to Seoul as 251.