No.23
6 chemin des Mesmes, Geneva.

July 22nd, 1959.

Your Excellency:
With regard to the proposed role of ICRC as requested by the Japanese, ICRC is carefully studying this on an informal basis and they are discussing it at the Executive Board.
The Executive Board feels strongly now that before they arrive at any decision they should hear the views of our side. Thus, they hinted that very soon they will request us to make representations on this matter. They do not say whether the Japanese clarification on their request was satisfactory or not. Before the decide anything they would like to hear our views. Thus, this morning, I sent a cablegram to the Government saying that there is a strong indication that ICRC will open the hearing of the case from our side. After they have heard our arguments, then they will with their own interpretation take up this matter at the 16-member Committee. The Committee will then decide whether or not it wily take up this matter. After this they will, if necessary, again ask our views. They will then decide whether or not they will accept the proposed role.
I presume they will probably ask us to come to ICRC some time next week to present the case. In fact, they know our point of view thoroughly now, through our previous representations. We insisted that before they arrive at any conclusion they should hear our views again. Thus, at this stage they would like to have another session with us.
What I have in mind is as follows: when ICRC asks us to make a formal representation we will prolong the meeting as much as possible by presenting all the facts. By doing so through the press we shall discourage the Japanese side. Meantime, we shall exert further efforts to approach Committee members to convince them that ICRC should not intervene in this case. Since we cannot repeat all the same stories to ICRC we need if possible some new facts and all the relevant material on this issue. The Japanese side has presented to ICRC all the relevant facts about our residents in Japan, quoting statistics, etc. And they send the "Japan Times " every day. However, if the hearing of the case is studied we shall present our arguments again to ICRC sufficiently forcibly. We have already established the fact that the problem of Korean residents in Japan is unique and there is no precedent in the work of the ICRC. This is quite favourable to us. Secondly, regarding freedom of choice of residence; we have also developed our arguments effectively. I shall do my best to prolong the meetings, to have as many sessions as possible with ICRC.
2. Yesterday Mr. Herter, Secretary of the United States State Department, had lunch with Mr. Boissier, President of ICRC. It is not sure whether they actually touched on this problem, but the press here is speculating as to whether they discussed this question at this social meeting.
3. Dr. Helen Kim is now in Paris and will return here on the 25th. The Rev. T. M. Kim arrived here and conveyed the strong opposition of the Korean Christians to the Japanese proposal.
4. I hope that OPI is sending the Korean Republic by airmail to ICRC - if possible, daily.
I shall report in more detail as the situation develops here.
With sentiments of loyalty and esteem,

I remain,

Faithfully yours

His Excellency President Syngman Rhee, Office of the President,
SEOUL,
Coree.