Letter No. 100 from the President (Syngman Rhee) to Minister Duk Shin Choi

November 27, 1957

No. 100

To: Minister Duk Shin Choi, Saigon

From: The President

Thank you for your Weekly Report Number 063 dated November fifteenth.

I am glad that you extended our courtesy to Mr. Robert A. Smith who is visiting the Far East. He is a very important man on the editorial staff and has written many editorials on Korea and we have to do all we can to show our appreciation.

When President Ngo Dinh Diem was here I told him about the Japanese and also about India but it seems that he was obliged to return Nehru's visit and therefore had to go to India. Ngo’s promise to Nehru that he would peacefully unite his country and that they will not join any military alliance is exactly what the communists want him to do. For a man of his caliber to change his policy is certainly a great disappointment to us.

After receiving your report we cabled the Legation that you should attend the party for Kishi as I had advised you to attend all official parties. But this does not mean that you are to invite the Japanese representative to your house or accept an invitation to his home. You must attend other receptions so that you can see what is going on and also to counteract Japanese propaganda. I am afraid my cable may have reached you too late.

I have asked the Education Ministry to supply you with the text books as soon as possible and am sure you will have received them by now. What I would like to know is who teaches the language so that we can follow up this course in other countries.

I also want to thank you for sending me a copy of the itinerary relating to President Ngo’s visit to India.