Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Korea, Volume VII

611.95/6–150

The Ambassador in Korea (Muccio) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Rusk)

Seoul, June 1, 1950.

Dear Dean: The recent letter from John Allison, with your own postscript,¹ suggesting a Korean invitation to John Foster Dulles to visit Korea has reminded me of a subject which has often been on my mind.²

I think it would be very helpful if the Department would adopt a general practice of attempting to persuade more high U.S. officials who make inspection trips to Japan to include Korea in their itinerary. Such visits would be helpful to the men concerned and so to the formation of policy by the Government, and would also be helpful to the Korean people and Government.

Seoul is only about four hours by air from Tokyo, so that almost any visitor to Japan could find the time to stop in Seoul at least over night. The Koreans not unnaturally are continuously concerned at their exposed military position, despite the obvious indications of American determination to continue aid to the Republic of Korea. Their morale would be greatly heartened by periodic visits of high United States officials, especially those connected with the Departments of Defense and State. Unfortunately, in the past such officials have tended to stop in Japan, thereby giving credence to Korean fear and suspicion that the United States is more interested in developing and sustaining their recent enemy than their long friends!

For example, when the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Tokyo,³ although the President of Korea invited them to visit Seoul none of them came.

Subsequently, the Army Chief of Staff, General Collins, indicated he would come to Seoul after visiting Tokyo,⁴ but he was called home suddenly and so was unable to do so.

Currently, the Secretary of Defense and General Bradley are reported to be about to visit Tokyo,⁵ and the Korean Minister of Defense, by direction of the President, has telegraphed Secretary Johnson inviting him to visit Seoul. This morning when I called on the President with General Roberts and Dr. Bunce, the President asked whether Secretary Johnson was coming. General Roberts had just received a message that the Secretary was not coming and told the President so. The President was much distressed. This afternoon an Embassy officer learned from those close to the President that he had become depressed and angered at what he took to be not only a slight to Korea but more important that the U.S. Department of Defense was showing its indifference to the fate of Korea. I understand the President intends to write urgently to General MacArthur to try to get him to persuade Secretary Johnson to visit here.⁶

The visits of the five Senators and ten Representatives to Korea last autumn, and that of Dr. Jessup last January,⁷ in my opinion, had an excellent effect both in informing the visitors and in affecting Korean judgment about United States intentions and in raising Korean morale.

Every American visitor who has come here appears to have gone away much impressed with what has been and is being done both by the Korean Government and people and by this Mission. I think it is impossible to get a clear picture of the Korea situation from Tokyo. General Hobbs, who was recently detached from FEC for duty in the Philippines, came over not long ago at the suggestion of General MacArthur, before proceeding to Manila. I understand he was reluctant to come, but that he stayed longer than he had intended and went away enthusiastic about the work of KMAG, and the Korean Army, and especially about their antiguerrilla tactics. Yet General Hobbs had been stationed in Japan for a considerable period of time. I think that proves that you have to see it to believe it. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Thomas C. Blaisdell is also a case in point, His three-day visit⁸ was profitable both to him and to this Embassy, as well as the Korean Government.

You will have learned before you get this letter of the results of the May 30 elections here. All the ballots have not yet been counted, but the picture is pretty clear that in general the electorate chose those candidates not holding public office. In Pusan two candidates were elected even though they were being held in jail. It seems clear that the voter cast his ballot freely, secure in the secrecy of his voting; and not under intimidation of the Government.

Sincerely,

John

1. Not printed.
2. For background information on the visit of John Foster Dulles, Consultant to the Secretary of State, to Japan and Korea, see Department of State Bulletin, June 19, 1950, p. 998, and ibid., June 26, 1950, p. 1061. A memorandum of conversation on his meeting with President Rhee on June 19 is printed on p. 107.
3. The Joint Chiefs of Staff had been to Japan in February.
4. In October 1949.
5. Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Omar Bradley arrived in Tokyo on June 18.
6. Mr. Johnson did not visit Korea.
7. See the memorandum by Mr. Jessup, January 14, p. 1.
8. In April.