July 1, 1975
Telegram from New York to Bucharest, No. 052648
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
TELEGRAM
Sender: New York
No.: 052648
Date: 01.07.1975
North Korean diplomats at the UN consider the letter addressed on June 27 to the President of the Security Council concerning the dismantling of the UN headquarters in South Korea, a “tactical maneuver to create confusion at this year’s session of the General Assembly.”
Ambassador Ri Yun-gyeom [Ri Yun Gyom] pointed out that the US is taking a step back from their traditional approach to the Korean issue, when agreeing to dismantle the UN headquarters only if the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic China accept in exchange that American and South Korean troops will take over the responsibilities of the headquarters, as well as by keeping in place the conditions of the Armistice.
Through the above-mentioned conditions, the US is actually seeking to force North Korea into accepting the presence of American troops in South Korea and accept the latter as a state.
According to the North Korean diplomat, such an approach represents an obvious interference in the internal affairs of his country as well as in the Korean efforts at reunification. The North Korean Ambassador has received instructions from home concerning his future actions at the UN. I however believe they will act towards rejecting and revealing US maneuvers.
The only means of settling the dispute is via bilateral negotiations between North Korea and the US on the one hand, as well as between North and South Korea, on the other, in view of signing the peace treaty.
Such a solution would allow North Korea to decide the deadline of US withdrawal from the Korean territory, in order to make way for a real territorial reunification.
The North Korean diplomat appeared dissatisfied by the passive attitude of the Soviet diplomats displayed in talks he had with them about the US letter. They avoided formulating their own opinions on the new US position in the Korean context.
Signed: Ion Datcu
The North Koreans are suspicious of the proposal to dismantle the UN headquarters in South Korea and believe that the true intent of the plan is creating confusion at this year’s session of the General Assembly. The author believes that the North Koreans will reject the proposal because agreeing to current conditions would be accepting the US presence in Korea.
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