NOTE VERBALE
The Korean Mission presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, with reference to the statement made by Mr. Aiichiro Fujiyama, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the House of Councillors on January 29, 1959 concerning its plan of repatriating Korean residents to the northern part of Korea, has the honour to make the following representation
1. The Mission made it clear on numberous occasions to the Ministry that the Government of the Republic of Korea is strongly opposed to any Koreans in Japan being allowed to go to the northern part of Korea now being under the unlawful occupation by Communist aggressors. Furthermore, soon after the statement under reference was made public, the Chief of the Mission and his staff repeatedly made a most energetic representation orally to the Minister and officials concerned of the Ministry and strongly requested that the plan in question be discarded. It is deeply regretted that the Ministry, however, has not shown any sign of reconsidering the plan. On the contrary, the sources of the Ministry continue to claim that the plan is based on a "humanitarian consideration", the "freedom of choice of residence", etc.
2. In this connection, the Mission wishes to invite the attention of the Ministry to the fact that the so-called group repatriation movement is nothing but a most malicious political plot initiated, for the purpose of wrecking the current overall talks as well as deteriorating the existing relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan, by the Communist regime in the north in collaboration with some elements of the Japanese who are opposed to an early settlement of various outstanding problems between the two countries. The Korean Communists in the north have been seeking for the slavery manpower which has become short, especially after millions of Koreans there fled to the south for freedom. They make an empty promise to the impoverished Korean residents in Japan that they are assured of Jobs hourses, etc, when they come to the north. It also distributed to them a large sum of money through its agents to buy off their signatures for the so-called plea-for-repatriation list. Particularly note-worthy is a press report that, according to the investigations conducted by the Public Security Special Investigation Agency of the Government of Japan, those Koreans have been -"subjected to a considerable pressure" to sign applications for "repatriation.„ All the facts mentioned above clearly prove that the so-called group repatriation movement has been of purely political motive.
As the Ministry is fully aware, hundreds of thousands of Koreans were forcibly emigrated to Japan to work for Japan's purposes. After the end of World War 11, large number of the Koreans were repatriated to the Republic of Korea, but over 600,000 Koreans have settled down in Japan. However, these people have mercilessly been abandoned by Japan as their services were no longer needed. In view of the spetial background of their settlement in Japan, it is more than natural that the Government of Japan should accord them proper status and treatment enabling them to live a stabilized life as human beings.
Under the circumstances, the plan to "repatriate" these Korean residents to the northern part of Korea cannot but be construed as an attempt on the part of the Government of Japan to get rid of as many Korean residents in Japan possible under the guise of "humanitarianism."
Such a "repatriation" as envisaged in the plan shall be branded as an extremely inhumane act, for such is nothing but a virtual expulsion of Korean residents out of Japan without paying any amends for the intolerable suffering caused to them by Japan's having brought them over to Japan for her own purposes
Further, the Government of the Republic of Korea, having the right and responsibility to protect its nationals within and without, strictly keeps any Koreans from proceeding to the nortern part of Korea, now being under unlawful occupation by Communist aggressors, where people are put under a complete slavery. Moreover, about 95 per cent of the 600,000 Korean residents in Japan come from the southern part of Korea and their family members and relatives still remain there, The Government of the Republic of Korea will accept the repatriation to the southern part of Korea of Korean residents in Japan if necessary conditions are met by the Government of Japan.
3. The Government of the Republic of Korea is the only lawful government of Korea as was recognized by the United Nations as such. It has the due right and responsibility to protect the Korean residents in Japan, who are nationals of the Republic of Korea. Consequently, if the Government of Japan takes any unilateral action to allow any of them to proceed to the northern part of Korea, it will doubtless constitute an infringement on the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea. It is said that the Ministry claims that the problem of the so-called group repatriation to north Korea is a matter to be dealt with separately from the fourth Korea -Japan Overall Talks. It is pointed out, however, that any unilateral disposition by the Government of Japan of any problems concerning the status and treatment of the Korean residents would be a flagrant violation of one of the written agreements signed between the representatives of the two Governments on December 31, 1957.
The Mission is a loss to understand the reason why the Ministry is, all of a sudden, contemplating to turn over Korean residents to the hands of Communists in the north, in disregard of the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea, in violation of the relevant written agreement, and by committing an inhumane act, at the time when the Overall Talks are about to be resumed. The Government of Japan should realize that it is breaking off the Overall Talks by such actions.
In the light of the fact that the Republic of Korea is virtually in the state of war with the north Korean puppet regime, the sending of Korean residents in Japan to the northern part of Korea will result in giving aid and comfort to the enemy of the Republic of Korea. Therefore, it is an act extremely unfriendly to the Republic of Korea and detrimental to the national security.
4. Circumstances being as such, the Mission is obliged to lodge a most energetic protest with the Ministry against its plan in question and strongly requests once again that the Ministry immediately discard the above plan, taking it into consideration that, should the Government of Japan formally decide to carry out such a plan, the existing relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan would be seriously deteriorated, not to speak of the rupture of the Overall Talks. If and when the Government of Japan prusues it original plan In disregard of the repeated protests and due request made herein by the Mission, the Government of the Republic of Korea will be compelled to take whatever actions it deems necessary to protect ita rights and in erests. The Government of Japan is solely responsible for all consequences which might arise from such actions on the part of the Government of Japan.

Tokyo, February 13, 1959