In this draft, Choi Duk Shin discusses the 'two-fold' threat of communism and Japanese expansionism in Asia, urging President Rhee to establish a solid collective security structure against these threats as soon as possible.
December 26, 1957
Letter No. 104 from the President (Syngman Rhee) to Minister Duk Shin Choi
This document was made possible with support from Syngman Rhee Institute, Yonsei University
December 26, 1957
TOPSECRET
Number 104
(Teletyped from Chinhae)
To: Minister Duk Shin Choi
From: The President
Your draft letter dated December 10th is just to hand. I have carefully read your detailed description or the situation we and other Asiatic countries are in. But there is one point in the first paragraph of this letter which is not clear am therefore I have changed it a little.
The important factor is to use it on time so that it can reach all the friendly nations and the right person or persons to create confidence in us. Just as you said, the danger is two-fold: The Communist threat on one side and Japan's rapid expansion on the other. The worst thing in the Japanese threat is that the Japanese have won the U.S. Secretary of State over to their side and through this channel they are using the State Department to influence and almost force the Asian nations to recognize Japan as the supreme and dominating power in every organization.
I have been fighting the State Department alone all this time but we have influential friends in that Department who realize the stand we take is what the American Government will take and they are doing all they can to convince the Secretary but he seems to be tied up with the Japanese and therefore has to do what the Japanese demand. There are also a number or influential people at the Pentagon who fully realize Japan's plan of aggression.
Kishi is endeavoring to have Mr. Dulles make some sort of a written agreement with the U.S. and Asiatic countries so that Japan will again dominate in Asia. In this, we have the support or the Philippines and perhaps Thailand and hope some other nations in Asia will join with us and resist this plan. The Chinese have been pro-Japanese and we had some difficulties with them although they promised to stand with us. We still doubt the loyalty or some of these nations.
The corrected draft will be sent to you in a special pouch.
(Unsealed as the President is in Chinhae.)
Syngman Rhee claims that Japan and Communism pose equal threats to Asia, and discusses the attitudes of the United States, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Thailand toward this "two-fold" danger.
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Subjects Discussed
- Korea (South)--Foreign relations--United States
- Korea (South)--Foreign relations
- Japan--Foreign relations--Korea (South)
- Japan--Foreign relations--United States
- Korea (South)--Foreign relations--Philippines
- Anti-communist movements--Korea (South)
- Korea (South)--Foreign relations--Thailand
- Korea (South)--Foreign relations--Taiwan
- Japan--Foreign relations--Taiwan
- Japan--Foreign relations--Thailand
- Japan--Foreign relations--Philippines
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B-334-001, The Korean Legation in Vietnam, Reports from the Korean Mission to the United Nations and Republic of Korea Embassies and Legations, Syngman Rhee Institute, Yonsei University.
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2014-08-29
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Syngman Rhee Institute, Yonsei University