British Legation in Korea at Pusan.

12th January, 1953.

Your Excellency,
I have the honour to refer to the Proclamation issued by the President of the Republic of Korea on the 19th January, 1952, about Korean territorial waters.
I am directed by Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to inform you that the terms of this proclamation are at variance with the views of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom on claims to territorial waters. It is the considered view of Her Majesty's Government that such claims should not be made arbitrarily, as appears to have been done in the present instance, but should be regulated by international law. There is no warrant, under international law, for any claim to sovereignty over the continental shelf beyond the 100 fathom line or for any claim to sovereignty over the waters above the continental shelf beyond a distance of 3 miles from the coast, unless special historic reasons can be adduced. No such reasons are present in this case. Moreover, Her Majesty's. Government consider that when, as in this case, the interests of another power are involved, claims should be decided by mutual discussion and consent and not by unilateral proclamation. Her Majesty's Government are not satisfied that the precedents subsequently cited by the Government of the Republic of Korea in fact offer any justification for the claims advanced. In this connexion it is also relevant to recall that Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom recognise the Republic of Korea "as an independent Sovereign State whose territory is that part of the Korean peninsula which free elections were held under the observation of the United Nations Temporary Commission".
I am therefore to inform you that Her
Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom cannot accept as valid the basis on which the claim to sovereignty over adjacent waters has been made by the President of the Republic Korea.
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.
Dr. CHO Chong-Whan, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs,Republic of Korea, Pusan.