Tokyo, September 9, 1957

No.49
TO : His Excellency
The President
FROM : Tai Ha Yiu
SUBJECT : Another Japanese Proposal
On the afternoon of the 9th I met Miyake, Asian Affairs Bureau Chief of the Foreign Ministry accompanied by Counselor Choi.
According to Miyake, the Korean amendment proposal that the U.S. memorandum does not affect Korea's claims in any way was utterly unacceptable. However, to assure the Korean side, the Japanese side would insert the phrase "for fair and equitable settlement" in addition to the term "the Japanese side has no objection to discussing for settlement the Korean claims with sincerity." Miyake stated that the addition was the utmost concession the Japanese side would make and therefore we should not insist on the term "does not affect Korea's claims, etc...."
I told Miyake that we would not accept anything short of having our amendment proposals inserted at least in the agreed minutes.
Another proposal Miyake made was this: "Although the U.S. memorandum does not affect the right of Korean property claims in any way, it does affect their settlement."
To this I replied that it was no progress from what Itagaki had proposed and that it was the same as reversing the contents of the agreed minutes relating to property claims. If the Japanese side continues to take such an attitude, I said to Miyake, I would take it as meaning that it wants to break off the talks. Miyake reacted with surprise saying that if they were to be broken off the situation would become more difficult. I also told Miyake that responsibility for the capture of Japanese fishing vessels violating our Peace Line during the coming fishing season would rest with the Japanese side.
Miyake replied that the Japanese side was anxious to settle the problem because of such a probability.
When I told Miyake that his proposals were unacceptable to us, he stated that the estimate the Japanese side made from the list of claims the Koreans presented at the 1953 conference ran to about $100 million. I reminded Miyake that the Korean side never mentioned figures, for as I have always said, they would make their appearance during the formal discussions. I asked him for an explanation of their $100 million estimate when the information bureau chief of the Foreign Ministry at that time estimated the Korean claims as $600 million.
At the 1953 conference, the Japs estimated our claims at $600 million, but of late, the $100 million figure was mentioned several times by Nakagawa and several of the other officials with whom I came into contact.
In parting Miyake stated that he would report our meeting to Itagaki and that the latter would have something to say to me. He further asked that we understand their difficult position and how anxious they are to settle the problems with sincerity.