STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
KOREA-JAPAN CONFERENCE

Summary Record of the Eighth Session of the Claims Committee
1. Date, time and place
April 1 (Tuesday), 1952 10:25-11: 50 hours
At Room No. 419, Ministry of Foreign affairs
2. Conferees
Japanese Delegates Mr. Katsumi OHNO, Mr. Goro HATTORI, Mr. Shigeru HIROTA, Mr. Katsuo UEDA
Korean Delegates Mr. LIMB Song Bon, Mr. HONG Jin-ki, Mr. LEE Sang Duk, Mr. LEE Il Woo, Mr. HAHN Kyu Young
3. Proceedings
Concerning the presentation of “the Joint Report of the Claims Committee to the Fifth Plenary Session”, the views of both sides were different throughout discussions.
a. As to the Japanese Draft report submitted in the preceding session, the Korean side expressed its opinion that it would be premature to recommend setting up the standing committee separately from the present sub-committee to this plenary session, and it belonged not to the authorization of the subcommittee, but to that of the plenary session, to decide whether or not the standing committee should be established; while the Japanese side set forth its different view that the standing committee would become necessary to renew the deliberations of the problem, in case its final settlement may not be attained during the present session of the Japan-Korea Conference, and read a revised draft as per ANNEX I.
b. Regarding the Korean draft report as per ANNEX II, the Japanese side viewed that it would unnecessary to submit to the plenary session such a Korean report as to invite the hot discussion therein, but the Korean side opined that it would be needed to do so with a view to letting the plenary session find any possible settlement which could not be reached in the subcommittee.
c. Thought it was proposed that both reports would be simultaneously presented to the plenary session, no final decision was made at this meeting, and Delegates of both sides later agreed upon another draft of the joint report as per ANNEX III.
4. It was decided, as a tentative schedule, that the coming (9th) session would be held on April 4 (Friday), 1952 at 10 a.m. at the same conference room.

 

ANNEX I

Draft Joint Report of Claims Committee to Plenary Session, Japan-Korea Conference

 

(Japanese Draft)

The disposition of property and claims is based on the provisions of Article 4 of the Treaty of Peace signed at the City of San Francisco on September 8, 1951. A decision was made, at the Plenary Session of the present Japan-Korea Conference, on the establishment of the Claims Committee, as a sub-committee for the deliberation of the subject matter, which has held several meetings for the deliberation. And, as the result of earnest and sincere discussions by Delegates of both sides, major points of arguments of both sides have been clarified. It has been revealed, however, that, in view of the complicated nature of the problem, its final settlement may not be attained during the present session of the Japan-Korea Conference.
Accordingly, the Claims Committee recommends the Plenary Session to take the following measure if the case be as stated above.

 

RECOMMENDATION

With regard to the disposition of property and claims, Japan and the Republic of Korea shall renew deliberations of the subject matter, in a spirit of concord and in accordance with the principles of justice and equity, as soon as possible after the termination of the present Japan-Korea Conference.

 

ANNEX II

Draft Joint Report of Claims Committee to Plenary Session, Korea-Japan Conference

 

(Korean Draft)

This Committee was established, by the decision of the Second Plenary Session of the Korea-Japan Conference, as a sub-committee for the discussions of the problem of property and claims between the Republic of Korea and Japan, and Delegates of both countries have held seven meetings and made sincere deliberations. The Japanese side asserted its right to the property in the Republic of Korea, while the Korean side stood on a point of view fundamentally different from the Japanese side’s, thus both sides having been unable to find out the ways to iron out this difference by further discussions. It has been, then, made clear that, without overcoming this difference of fundamental legal opinions, discussions could not be continued. Therefore, the said Committee concurred in opinion to ask the Plenary Session of the Korea-Japan Conference for some instructions on the ways and means of proceedings of this Committee.

 

ANNEX III

Joint Report of Claims Committee to the Fifth Plenary Session
Upon the directions of the 4th Plenary Session, this committee has had further discussions formally and informally on the problem concerning property and claims between the Republic of Korea and Japan. However, no progress has been made yet.