COMITE INTERNATIONAL de la CROIX-ROUGE
LE PRESIDENT

Geneva, 16 July 1956

No.17664
Dear Mr. President,
On their return to Geneva our Delgation, Mr. W. Michel and Mr. E. De Weck, passed on to us the information they had been given, during their recent mission, on the problem of finding certain Korean nationals a home of their choice on Korean soil.
In the light of the above information, we considered whether there was any way in which we could usefully play a part in finding a solution to the problem.
We have the honour to send you, enclosed, a note in which we explain the conclusions we reached.
It is not our Red Cross organizations but quite alearly the governmental authority in each of the countries concerned, which have the power to take the necessary decisions to implement the practical proposal we have submitted. We should therefore be most grateful if you would be good enough tob ring the enclosed note to the kind attention of your Government.
We shall in any case be most obliged for any information you can give us concerning the position which the South Korean Authorities adopted in regard to the present offer of our services which we are also submitting to the North Korea and Japanese Red Cross Societies for their consideration.

Yours very siclerely,

(sgd.)

Leopold BOISSIER

NOTE
Some time ago the attention of the International Committee of Red Cross was drawn to the problem represented by certain Koreans - living at present either in Japan or in Korea itself - Who wished to find a home of their choice on Korean soil. The International Committee was even asked to help to find a solution on this problem.
Useful information on the subject was received as a result of contacts, made in the course of its jouney, by the goodwill mission which, as is known, was recently sent by the International Committee to Asia.
The International Committee, it must be remembered, can never intervene in any matter, except on a humanitarian level, or in other words, it is guided solely in its action by the humane interests of the individuals concerend.
On carefully studying the information received by the mission referred to above, the International Committee of the Red Cross reached the conclusion that if its intervention were agreed to by all the parties on whom the solution of the problem finally depended, it could make a practical contribution towards finding that solution by helping to asvertain which of the Koreans in question wished to change their domicile and where each of them wished to go.
As essential condition of such an operation - of a strictly humanitarian nature and conceived solely in the interest of the individuals concerned - would be that it should make it possible to determine what the freely expressed will of the persons concerned is in regard to their choice of a place of residence.
The arrangements for the operation should be fixed by the International Committee - in accordance with the general principles which are known to gobern its action in agreement with the authorities concerned, who alone have the power to implement the decisions reached.
The International Committee would not be able to undertake this task, however, unless the above authorties assure it in advance that they are prepared to recognize in practice the results obtained, or in other words take all necessary steps to facilitate the journey of the Korean nationals in question and their reestablishment in their chosen place of residence.
It is clear that the implementation of the present proposal cannot in any way prejudice efforts made, outside the Red Cross, to determine the status of Koreans who, although now living away from their original home, wish to continue their existence in their present place of residence.
The International Committee would be grateful if the parties concerned would kindly inform it of their views on the preliminary proposal which it has the honour to submit. The Committee would be glad if they would point out any objection they have to make to the above proposal and would be interested in any alternative suggestion they might than make concerning means by which the problem raised in the present note could be settled.

Sealed.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF RED CROSS