COPY

Tokyo, January 9, 1958

No.41
Excellency:
With regard to the question on the implementation of the terms agreed upon at the conclusion of the preliminary talks, I have been instructed by Foreign Minister Cho's cable of January 4 to propose to the Japanese side that a working committee be set up for preparation of the overall talks and the implementation of other agreed terms.
Accordingly, Minister Yiu and I visited Vice Minister Ohno at the Japanese Foreign Ministry at 10:45 a.m., January 6, to discuss the matters concerning the set-up of the working committee (Foreign Minister Fujiyama was sick in bed). At this meeting it was agreed that the working committee be set up, as soon as Possible.I informed the Japanese side that Minister Yiu will head our delegation to the committee and will be assisted by Counselor Choi, First Secretary Chin and a few others of my staff. (Enclosed please find the copy of the summary records of this meeting) As a result of this arrangement, the first meeting of the working committee was held at 3 p.m., January 7, at the Foreign Ministry, the summary records of which is also enclosed.
I carefully studied the Foreign Minister's cable instructions and familiarized myself with the instructions and am fully determined tocarry them out. At the same time, I wish to mike the following observation:
First, since the Japanese side officially committed itself to return to Korea those Korean art objects now in the Japanese Government's possession, of which immediate transfer is possible, I will do my utmost in obtaining the list of such art objects from the Japanese side. As appearing in the enclosed summary record, the Japanese side is now preparing the said list and will deliver it to our side as soon as it is completed.
Secondly, regarding the treatment by the Japanese side of about 470 Korean detainees (pre-war category) to be released in Japan, particularly such questions as "help for their livelihood", I will closely watch the action of the Japanese side to see if it will live up to the agreed terms.
Thirdly, as pointed out in the said Foreign Minister's cable, it is necessary for our side to be cautious lest the Japanese side should try to give "protection" to a certain category of Korean illegal entrants. There are about 100 Korean illegal entrants who allegedly desire to go to north Korea and some others who fled from Korea after committing crimes and who are not at the detention camps.
With regard to the question on the deportation to our side of the above 100 Koreans (allegedly desiring to go to north Korea), I will do my best to see to it that they be sent back to our country together with other illegal entrants detained at Omura and Hamamatsu. I will also do my best to block any possible Japanese attempt to exclude names of those 100 persons from the list of Koreans subject to imminent deportation.
Concerning the question on some Korean illegal entrants who are believed to be under "protection" by the Japanese side, it is my understanding that their turn-over to our side had strongly been insisted upon by our side at the negotiations between the Japanese side and my predecessor, Minister Yong Shik Kim and that it was agreed finally, with the Government's approval, that the matter would officially be taken up at the resumed overall talks. I understand that Article 2 of the Agreed Minutes signed
on December 31, 1957, was so worded specifically for this purpose.
(Article 2 of the Agreed Minutes:
Chief of the Korean Mission in Japan:
I understand that when the problem of treatment of Korean residents in Japan is discussed at the overall talks to be resumed between the Republic of Korea and Japan, the problem of the deportation of illegal entrants will also be subject of discussion.
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan:
So do I.)
Fourthly, Foreign Minister Cho also requested me to obtain from the Japanese side the list of those illegal entrants who are not at the detention camps, together with the lists of the Korean detainees to be released in Japan shortly and of the illegal entrants now at the detention camps. If this request were to be made at our initiative, there is fear that the Japanese side is likely, taking such opportunity, to give our side, in succession, lists of Koreans who it claims belongs to such category, because it, as evident from the past experience, can easily make, under various pretexts, any Korean residents here 'illegal entrants', who could be thus deportable.
In this connection the Japanese side has already notified our side at the working committee meeting on January 7 that there are about 2,000 Koreans not under detention at present, who are, however, subject to deportation together with some 1,200 illegal entrants now at the detention camps. Therefore, it seems to me that it will be to our advantage to insist that our side would not accept, this time, the deportation of those "illegal" entrants not under detention at present unless it is on condition that "some Korean illegal entrants" under "protection" by the Japanese side also be turned over to our side simultaneously.
If the Japanese side insists that the matter on "some Korean illegal entrants" in question should be taken up at the resumed overall talks, according to Article 2 of the Agreed Minutes, we will say that the matter on the 2,000 Korean "illegal entrants" should also be discussed at the overall talks.
It seems logical for our side to seek such a bargain and, by so doing we can apply pressure to the Japanese side in settling in our favor the problem on an early turn-over of "some Korean illegal entrants", at the overall talks to be resumed.
Fifthly, Minister Yiu reported to me that Director Itagaki asked to see him right after the first meeting of the working committee held on January 7. According to Min. Yiu Mr. Itagaki told him that the Japanese side was placed in difficulty in connection with the deportation to our side of the above-mentioned 100 Koreans (allegedly desiring to go to north Korea). He also told me that he bad strongly insisted that it was quite essential to send those people to our side together with other illegal entrants. I told him that he should keep up his firm attitude in this regard throughout the entire meetings of the working committee in future.
In summing up, the main points with which this office is now confronted in relation to the future meetings of the working committee are as follows:
i. Whether or not we accept the deportation of the so-called Korean illegal entrants not under detention at present, said to total some 2,000, separately from the deportation of "some Korean illegal entrants".
(As detailed above, it is considered to be to our advantage not to accept the deportation of this category of Koreans at this stage, because the question on the 2,000 Koreans may well be linked to that of the turn-over of "some Korean illegal entrants" to be taken up at the overall talks.)
ii. This office realizes that it is essential to send back to our side those 100 Korean illegal entrants allegedly desiring to go to north Korea, as soon as possible, and this office will do everything in its power for this purpose.
iii. It will be necessary for this office to have a copy of our own list of art objects now in the Japanese Government's possession of which the immediate transfer is possible, to enable me to compare it with the list of the Japanese side expected to be handed over to us shortly.
iv. It is requested that the Government sends to this office, as soon as possible, lists of Japanese fishermen to be repatriated soon and those fishermen who are yet to serve their sentences.
v. I would highly appreciate it, if the Government would kindly give this report a perusal and send me necessary instructions as soon as possible.
With sentiments of loyalty and esteem, I remain,

Most respectfully,

Two(2) enclosures