CODE CABLE FROM MINISTER YONG SHIK KIM. TOKYO, No.900212
With reference to Your Excellency's letter No.59 of February 1, I am presenting the following to supplement my cable report TS 900206 of February 2.
Regarding the question concerning post release welfare of our Omura detainees the Jap government is willing to put into writing "consideration will be given to the necessity for assistance for these persons," but not any further. However by virtue of such clause they will be required to provide place to live and help them find jobs after the release.
Regarding the problem concerning our residents here the letter asked for my view of the Jap reaction to our demand in this regard. I take the view that when the conference is resumed the Jap government will recognize residence right of our residents and compensate them for wartime labor and will not abuse their right of deportation and also allow our residents to take their properties with them when they return to Korea. In this connection it is pointed out that after we get Japan's written pledge to refrain from detaining our people we will be in a bargaining position when discussing the above problems at formal conference.
Further as I reported previously they will virtually cease detention of our residents after signing a pledge to "refrain from detaining." even though they would not say "will not detain."
Regarding the Kubota statement and property claim, the Jap government is willing to send to this office an official note verbale saying in effect that the Jap government retracts the Kubota statement and the property claim along the line of the State Department memorandum.
Reference my cable report TS 90133 of January 19 in which I transmitted Japan's draft memorandum. The Japanese will also make public announcement of such withdrawal of the Kubota statement and the property claim together with the text of the S. D. memorandum, if we so desire.
Regarding our insistence that the Japanese sign a memorandum agreeing to discuss point by point every problem listed in our Jan. 15th memorandum, it is not likely for them to go beyond signing a memorandum agreeing to discuss the proposed 5 items on the conference agenda. I have continued my efforts in this regard, however the Japanese have only repeated its commitment to discuss the 5 items expressed in general terms.
Regarding the issue concerning the 4 illegal entrants in question, as Your Excellency will note in my previous reports,
I have made exhaustive efforts to bring the Japanese to our terms. Even today I pressed them again in this regard but they have not made any further commitment than to discuss the matter under the title "Intensified Control Over Illegal Entrants" at the formal conference. 13.
Minister Kim