Transmittal of Letter from Minister of Foreign Affairs on Korean Claim to Dokdo Island

by Stanley S. Carpenter

FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES

SECURITY	:	RESTRICTED	PRIORITY	:	AIR POUCH
TO	:	DEPARTMENT OF STATE			2 Enclosures
FROM	:	PUSAN 103, October 3, 1951			795.022/10 351
REF	:
SUBJ	:	TRANSMITTAL OF LETTER FROM MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON KOREAN CLAIM TO DOKDO ISLAND

There is transmitted herewith for the information of the Department a copy of a letter with enclosure dated September 21, 1951, from the Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs placing a claim to the island of Dokdo, also known as "Liancourt Rocks" and "Takeshima" in Japanese. There is also enclosed a copy of the Ambassador's acknowledgement of this letter.

It will be noted that the letter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs bases Korean claim to this island largely on the basis of SCAPIN 677, January 29, 1946, an excerpt of which is enclosed with the letter, and the fact that the island was placed on the Korean side of the "MacArthur Line".

With regard to the "substantial documented evidence" referred to in the last paragraph of the letter, an officer of the Embassy was orally informed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs that such evidence appears throughout Korean and Japanese historical archives. The implication was that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not possess a compilation of such "evidence" at this time. Although it was pointed out to the Minister that the Embassy would welcome the submission of such "evidence" for transmittal to the Department, it appears doubtful that such information will be forthcoming.

For the Ambassador:

Stanley S. Carpenter

Second Secretary of Embassy

Enclosures:

Letter of Minister of Foreign Affairs, dated Sept. 21, 1951.

Letter of Ambassador Muccio, dated October 3, 1951.