Tokyo, April 24, 1958

No.69
Excellency:
1. As reported briefly by my cable No.MT-036 of April 11, I met Foreign Minister Fujiyama at 2:45 p.m., April 11, and confirmed the draft statement to which our side pressed Japan to agree previously at a series of administrative level meetings conducted, on the basis of the Government instructions given in Cable Nos. FT-025 (April 7) and FT-028 (April 9) between the two sides (final draft statement was sent to the Government via last pouch).
At the meeting which was also attended by Minister Yiu, Counselor Choi and First Secretary Chin on our side, and Director Itagaki and his 1st Section Chief Suganuma on the Japanese side, on the basis of the Government's suggestion contained in Cable No.FT-025, our side accepted the Japanese proposal that the overall talks be resumed on April 15 at the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
After the meeting which lasted only about 10 minutes the joint statement, being confirmed by initial, was simultaneously announced at 3:30 p.m., JST, and 3:00 p.m., KST, under the date of April 11, 1958. (Initialed copy of the joint statement is being sent to the Foreign Ministry under separate cover)
2. As evident from reports in the newspapers here next (April 12) and yesterday (April 13) and also commentaries by Japanese radio and TV stations, the consensus of the so-called public opinion here indicates that the public are greatly dissatisfied with the way the Japanese Government agreed to the resumption of the overall talks with our side, because in the joint statement no mention was made of the problem of the Japanese fishermen, despite Japan's previous stand that the completion of their repatriation was the prerequisite to the resumption of the overall talks.
For instance, the Asahi in its editorial on April 13, attacked the Japanese Government for agreeing to resume the talks without obtaining from our side assurances regarding the repatriation of the Japanese fishermen. It also stated that despite quite natural stand of the Japanese Government that the repatriation of the fishermen should precede the resumption of the overall talks, all of a sudden the Japanese side made concession to the Korean side by agreeing to resume the talks before the fishermen's repatriation.
The Mainichi also in its editorial the same day, stated that no mention was made of the repatriation of the Japanese fishermen, and that the joint statement indicated that Japan had agreed to resume the talks without obtaining assurances from the Korean side in this regard, thus Japan s basic line on this issue collapsed.
3. As Your Excellency is well aware, the overall talks were originally scheduled for March 1, in accordance with the agreement signed on December 31, 1957. However, the Japanese side failed to abide by its commitment at the last moment.
Under such circumstances our side maintained that as long as the Japanese side one-sidedly broke its part of the agreement, it should agree to the resumption of the overall talks without any particular conditions attached. This stand of our side was maintained to the last at the guidance of Your Excellency and in accordance of the Government instructions. As a result, the Japanese side has finally yielded to our stand, thus agreeing to resume the talks without any particular conditions attained. I am confident that this achievement is a result from perfect cooperation among the officials concerned of our Foreign Ministry and this office, for which I am grateful.
4. I am herewith enclosing a copy of summary records of my meeting with Mr. Fujiyama and copies of the joint statements to be kept by both sides.
With sentiments of loyalty and esteem, I remain,

Most respectfully,
M.T.K

Enclosures:
1. Summary records/April 11
2. Copies of joint statements