(Excerpt from NIPPON TIMES, 14 August 1959)
KONDO STATEMENT SAYS:
KOREANS MAY REMAIN IN JAPAN OR LEAVE
A Foreign Office spokesman said yesterday that Korean residents in Japan are free to remain in Japan or return either to the Republic of Korea or Communist North Korea.
Shinichi Kondo, director of the Foreign Office Public Information and Cultural Affairs Bureau, said in a statement: "The Japanese Government wishes to take this opportunity to make it clear once again that should any of the Korean residents in Japan desire to continue to remain in Japan, they are free to do so as long as they observe Japan's national laws; and should any desire to return to Korea, they are free to leave Japan for either North or South Korea in accordance with their own free will and choice."
Kondo's statement was issued simultaneously with the signing in Calcutta of the Japan-North Korea repatriation agreement.
The Japanese Government, the statement said, "hopes that the work of repatriation will be carried out impartially and smoothly through the understanding and cooperation of all parties concerned."
Japan also thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross (CICR) for agreeing to assume an "important role" in the repatriation program, the statement added.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Etsusaburo Shiina said yesterday that the Government was pleased with the signing of the agreement. He said now that the agreement has been signed, all efforts
must be made by the government agencies concerned for smooth and fair implementation of the agreement.
Tadatsugu Shimazu, president of the Japan Red Cross, expressed his joy over the signing of the agreement.
He declared that Japan would faithfully carry out its part of the agreement in conformity with the CICR advice in order to realize the humanitarian aim of the program.
Meanwhile, the Socialist Party expressed full satisfaction with the signing of the repatriation agreement and said the party has been doing its share in promoting the early return of Korean residents in Japan to North Korea.
NIPPON TIMES August 14, 1959
JAPAN, N. KOREA SIGN AGREEMENT ON REPATRIATION
Gaimusho Reveals Text of Accord, Joint Communique
Japan and North Korea signed an agreement in Calcutta yesterday for voluntary repatriation of Koreans from Japan to North Korea.
Yoshisuke Kasai, vice president of the Japan Red Cross and North Korean representative Li Il Kyung signed for their respective countries.
The pact was signed at 2 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. JST). in the banquet hall of the Great Eastern Hotel.
The signing came approximately four months atter the repatriation talks got under way in Geneva between the Red Cross delegations of the two countries.
Text of the documents, in both Japanese and Korean, was released by the Foreign Office immediately alter the signing.
At the same time, the Foreign Office released the text of documents attached to the agreement and a joint communique by Japan and North Korea.
The agreement went into effect on signing but the repatriation program was not expected to get under way until the scheduled arrival of Marcel Junod, vice president of the International Red Cross Committee (CICR), later this month.
Since the CICR has announced readiness to assist the repatriation program, it is expected that arrangements for carrying out the repatriation will now progress smoothly.
The first repatriation ship is thus expected to be able to leave Niigata port with the repatriates within three months or by Nov. 12. While the number of returnees is not yet clear, it is believed that 4,000 North Koreans will be transported monthly by a Soviet vessel.
The Government yesterday set aside ￥45,456,000 to cover expenses for repatriating Korean residents to North Korea.
The Vice Ministers meeting yesterday made the appropriation from the general accounts reserves for the present fiscal year.
This amount will be spent on erecting temporary living quarters in Niigata, where the repatriates will be assembled before sailing for home.
The construction will be started immediately and is expected to be completed by early October.
A gist of the joint communique and agreement follows:
Joint Communique
At the talks held between the Japan Red Cross Society and the Red Cross Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from April 13 to June 24, 1959 regarding the problem of the voluntary repatriation of Koreans in Japan, the views of both sides came to a perfect agreement. Consequently, the agreement between the Japan Red Cross Society and the Red Crows Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea regarding the voluntary repatriation of Koreans in Japan, together with to annex thereto, has been signed.
The Red Cross delegations of Japan and Korea take this opportunity to express their deep gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for making its room available to the above talks.
Calcutta agreement
With a view to realizing the repatriation of Koreans in Japan by their freely expressed will based on the freedom of choice of residence and the principles of the Red Cross, the Japanese Red Cross Society and the Red Cross Committee of the Demorectic People's Republic of Korea agree as follows:
Article 1: Returnees shall be Koreans in Japan, including Koreans who have acquired Japanese nationality, who wish repatriation, their spouses, including those unregistered, and other dependents who wish to return with them. Regarding minors under 16 years of age, the decisions of the persons who exercise parental power or of the guardians shall prevail. Persons whose exit is not authorized under the relevant laws and regulations of Japan shall be excluded from returnees.
Article 2: Persons who wish repatriation shall submit applications in the form set by the Japan Red Cross Society directly to the Japan Red Cross Society in person, and shall go through necessary procedures for repatriation.
Applications shall be based on free will, and shall meet the requirements provided for in this agreement.
.......The alteration of the will to return shall be permitted until a certain time before embarkation.
Article 3: 1. The Japan Red Cross Society shall organize a system for registering persons who wish to return.
2. The Japan Red Cross Society shall request the International Committee of the Red Cross to take such measures as the latter deems necessary and appropriate to ensure that the organization and operation of the system for registering persons wishing to return be fair, impartial and in conformity with the humanitarian principles. The measures referred to above shall be as follows:
a) The Japanese Red Cross Society shall request the International Committee of the Red Cross to give advice when the former organizes the system for registering persons wishing to return.
b) The Japanese Red Cross Society shall request the International Committee of the Red Cross to ascertain whether the operation of the registration system referred to above is proper or not.
c) The Japanese Red Cross Society shall request the International Committee to give necessary advice on the operation of the registration system referred to above.
3. The Japan Red Cross Society shall request the International Committee of the Red Cross to make public through radio broadcasts that this agreement is in conformity with humanitarian spirit and the principles of the Red Cross.
Article 5: Vessels for the return shall be provided by the korean side at its expense.
The Japanese side shall designate the port of Niigata as port of embarkation, and the Korean side shall designate Najin, Chongji and Hungnam as pots of disembarkation.
The first repatriation vessel for returnees shall sail from the port of embarkation within three months from the date of coming into force of this agreement concluded between the Red Cross organizations of Japan and Korea.
Article 6: The Japan Red Cross Society shall afford the following facilities to returnees in a manner prescribed by it:
a) Expenses for transportation and meals, freight for goods up to 60 kilograms per person and charges for first aid to be incurred during the time between the departure from present residences and arrival at the port of embarkation shall be paid.
b) Accommodation, meals, first aid an transportation during the time between the arrival at the port of embarkation and embarkation shall be provided.
Returnees may take with them up to 45,000 yen in Japanese currency in the form of a check in pound sterling.
Any person who is in possession of Japanese currency in excess of the above maximum shall deposit such an excess in the bank in his name, on which he shall be permitted to drew under the relevant laws and regulations of Japan if he applies therefore at a later date.
The Japanese side shall continue to recognize lawful titles of a returnee to his properties which he cannot take home under unavoidable circumstances.
Article 9: This agreement shall be valid for one year and three months after its signature. However, in case it is recognized that the repatriation work cannot be completed during this period, it may be renewed through consultations between the Red Cross organizations of Japan and Korea, as it is or with necessary amendments.