MEMORANDUM

 

Despite strenuous efforts on the part of the Government of the Republic of Korea ever since 1951 to settle the problem of Korean residents in Japan, the Japanese Government recided unlaterally last February to deport en masse Korean residents in Japan to the northern part of Korea. Needless to say, this decasion was motivated by Japan's desire to get rid of as many Korean residents as possible out of its territory.

 

The Korean Government felt it necessary to sattle urgently this problem once and for all, since the said Japanese decision had unduly aggravated the relationship between Korea and Japan, thus constituting a threat to the peace Northeast Asia. In order to prevent this unfortunate situation from further deteriorating, the Korean Government went last July so far as to propose the unconditional resumption of the fourth Korea-Japan. overall Talks, Which had long been unable to convene due to Japanese insistence on the depontation achves. The Korean Government was of the opinion that, at the resume talks, the resident problem which had directly given rise to his tension between Korea and Japan should be discussed for settlement with utmost priority, creating thereby a favorable atmosphere for the settlement or other outstanding is sues between the two countries.

 

Out of its sincere desire to expedite the solution if the resident and to ease the ◆…◆ receive, or ◆…◆ residents in Japan to the Republic of Korea only if two conditions ard met. It is already a historical fact that Korean residents in Japan were forced to immigrate into Japan in the past as a result of Japan's occupation policies in Korea. A large number of them, in particular, were drafted as forced laborers to work in Japanese war industries. In view of this special historical back-ground of Korean residents in Japan, it is natural and proper that the Japanese Government should pay compensation to them. Such compensation fund will be expended for resettlement of the repatriates in the Republic of Korea. The repatriates should also be allowed to take away all their properties with them, without limitation to the value and quantity, and without any customs duties or other charges being imposed upon such properties. Unless these conditions are met, it would be extremely difficult for the repatriates to start their new life in the republic of Korea.

 

The Korean Government believes that only this kind of solution will bring about a. substantial reduction of the number of Korean residents in Japan, which is the real purpose of the Japanese Government in thinking out the deportation scheme as pointed out above, and that the resident problem will thus be settled to the satisfaction of this two Governmerts concerned as well as in the interest of Korean residents affected. The question of those Korean residents who neither wish to return to the republic of Korea nor to remain in Japan, if it should exist., must be taken up thereafter for discussion and settlement at the resumed overall talks.

 

The Korean Government is earnestly of the opinion that a settlement of the resident problem along the lines outlined above will be effected expeditiously with a positive cooperation of the united States Government, and that there will also be found a way, not so difficult as some pessimistic circles avow, of settling other outstanding issues such as fisheries problem, Korean claims against Japan, and so forth. The Korean Government is also of the opinion that the Japanese Government should refrain from disposing unilaterally of the very problem which is on agenda at the Korea-Japan overall talks while such talks are under way.

 

September, 1959.