SUMMARY RECORD
At 10:00 p.m., Thursday, December 10, 1959, First Secretary Ranard of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul telephone-called Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kyu Hah Choi at home, asking the latter for receiving urgently the former because he had been instructed to do so. Thus a conversation was held at Vice-Minister's private residence for an hour and half from 10:20 p.m. At this meeting also present was Political Affairs Director Young Choo Kim. The conversation covered the following points relating to the Korea-Japan talks :
First Secretary Ranard said his Embassy had been informed by the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo that both Korean and Japanese delegations jointly drafted a Joint Communique, in which the two parties would announce an agreement in principle reached on the problem of Korean residents in Japan, an Agreed Minutes, which would set forth the terms concerning the property rights of repatriating Koreans, deportation of Koreans, etc., and a Statement, in which both sides would set the date for mutually repatriating detainees in Pusan and Omura, for which according to his understanding, December 24, 1959 had been agreed on. As for "Oral Assurance", it was his understanding that the Japanese Foreign Ministry would give "Oral Assurance" to the U.S. Ambassador in Tokyo, who would keep record thereof for its transmittal to the Korean side immediately after the issuance of the Joint Communique, Agreed Minutes, etc. He said that all these were acceptable to Ambassador Yiu, and asked Vice-Minister Choi as to whether the Korean Government would instruct its Delegation to sign them. He added that this would be a best and last opportunity for the Republic of Korea.
Vice-Minister Choi explained how the documents which were said to have been jointly drafted were unsatisfactory in the light of the original Korean proposal ("Previous draft Joint Communique ") of November 4, 1959. The Vice-Minister asked whether Mr. Ranard knew anything about the "compensation" plan.
According to Mr. Ranard, if the terms for compensation be effected, $1500 per family would be paid with regard to those who would repatriate to the Republic of Korea for the period of two years after the coming into force of the agreed terms with the ceiling of $10 million in total. Asked whether the payment would be made on a lump-sum basis before the taking place of the actual repatriation, Mr. Ranard replied that such payment was calculated on the basis of USOM-K report made in last September at the Japanese request. He said he knew nothing about different standards considered for repatriates to resettlement in urban or rural areas.
When Vice-Minister Choi reiterated how the Japanese proposal (so-called joint draft) was impractical, Mr. Ranard expressed his great disappointment.
On December 11, 1959, Director Kim again had conversation with Mr. Ranard at the former's office, and confirmed the following points:
1. Mr. Ranard's remarks "last opportunity", etc. meant that time was running against the Republic of Korea. According to Mr. Ranard, it was doubtful whether ※next year the Japanese side would even offer $1,200 per family for compensation.
2. According to his estimate, approximately 30,000 persons would come back to the Republic of Korea if the Korea-Japan arrangements be effected, while about 20,000 might go to the northern part of Korea.
3. Mr. Ranard emphasized that this would practically be the last opportunity for the Republic of Korea even to repatriate the Japanese fishermen held in Pusan because the Korean Government would otherwise be placed in such an embarrassing position as to be unable to find an excuse for taking such action later on. He further said that unless the Korean Government did take this opportunity, it would also be confronted with embarrassing situation wherein it would find Japan bringing up the Peace Line issue at the UN Security Council, etc.