April 10. 1955:
The north Korean puppet regime first spoke for repatriation of the Japanese from northern part of Korea through Bong Han Lee and Tong Huyk Chun at the Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung.
October 15. 1955
The north Korean puppet regime's spokesman stated over the Pyongyang radio that north Korea can never recognize the validity of any negotiations between south Korea and Japan on the question of mutual release of detainees. The spokesman requested the Japanese Government to receive a representative of north Korean Red Cross Society who might be dispatched to discuss the questions of treatment of Koreans in Japan and their repatriation to north Korea.
October 16, 1955
The north Korean puppet regime issued a statement to the effect that it will not recognize any measure to be taken as a result of Japan 's talks with south Korea on the exchange of detainees in Pusan and Omura and that Koreans in Omura should be released immediately and for that purpose, the puppet regime's Red Cross wishes to send its delegation to Japan.
December 29. 1955
Nam IL, north Korean puppet premise, announced his readiness to dispatch north Korean mission to Japan to settle the problem of Koreans in Japan.
January 28, 1956
The Japanese delegation composed of Katsuishi and Inoue of Japanese Red Cross, Niyagoshi of the so-called Nichokyokai and one interpreter arrived at Pyongyang to negotiate the repatriation of some 210 Japanese from northern part of Korea in bargain for the repatriation of Koreans in Japan to the communist north Korea.
February ,7,1956
The ICRC recognized the qualifications of the Red Cross to the north Korean puppet regime's Red Cross Society.
February 24. 1956 -
The so-called Pyongyang talks was concluded after a month long negotiations. Yoshisuke Miyagoshi of the Nichokyokai concluded the repatriation of 36 Japanese out of 210 and also a trade contract for 5 million pound-value per annum.
May 9. 1956. 1956
Mr. W. Michel and Mr. E De Weck of the ICRC visited Acting Foreign Minister, Cho and discussed on the problem of displaced civilian persons. Their mission was particularly connected with looking into a problem of finding certain Koreans living either in Japan on in Korea a home of their choice on Korean Ishii.
May 1956
Massre. W. Michel and E De Weck visited Pyongyang in connection with their mission.
Juno 29. 1956
The Foreign Ministry sent a Note Verbale to Her Majesty's Britannic Legation in Korea requesting to render advice to the British Shipping Company to refrain from giving assistance for transport of 48 Koreans and to the Hong kong Government to withhold issuance of landing permits for them.
July 4. 1954
The Foreign Minister cable-instructed Minister Yong Shik Kim in Tokyo, Charge d'affairs in Paris and Consul-General in Hongkong to make strong representation with authorities concerned in connection with 48 Koreans. Representation was also filed with the ICRC against its intervention in the issue.
July 6, 1956
Minister to the United Kingdom, Myo Mook Lee made a written representation to the British Foreign Minister expressing the regret that the British vessel is rendering services and facilities for transporting the 48 Koreans in question,
July 6, 1956
The Foreign Minister again instructed to protest to the Japanese Government in regard to 48 Koreans and request to prevent them from sailing out of Japan.
July 7, 1956
Minister Yong Shik Kim met American Ambassador Allison and explained our position on the 48 Koreans and at the same time, requested for efforts to stop the Koreans from leaving Japan.
July 10, 195 6
Minister Yong Shik Kim reported that, in the course of the conversation between Consul—General Choi and Inoue, head of Foreign Affairs Department of the Japanese Red Cross, the latter said the JRC had sent a cable in December, 1953 to the north Korean Red Cross Society through the ICRC in Geneva proposing that, if the north Korean Red Cross assists in the repatriation of the Japanese in north Korea, the Japanese Red Cross would
reciprocally render assistance in the repatriation of the Koreans in Japan desiring to go to north Korea. Inoue reportedly went on to say that the JRC received later an answer from the north Korean Red Cross in favor of the Japanese proposal.
July 11, 1956
Minister Yong Shik Kim met General Lemnitser and explained the position of our Government in regard to 48 Koreans.
July 11. 1256
The Foreign Minister filed with the ICRC a strong protest against the ICRC 's issuance of travel documents to the 48 Koreans allegedly desirous of going to north Korea.
July. 16.1956
The Japanese Red Cross was requested by the north Korean Red Cross to make a joint request to the Russian Red Cross regarding the question of the 48 Koreans.
July 16. 1956
The ICRC sent the Red Cross Societies of Korea and Japan and north Korean puppet Red Cross notes in which it stated that it would cooperate indetermining freely expressed will of the Koreans in connection with the question of finding certain Koreans living either in Japan or Korea a home of their choice provided that the authorities concerned give consent to that effect. In the notes, the ICRC propsed 4—way repatriation referred to as "Master Formula" by the
Japanese 1)repatriation of Koreans in Japan to south Korea, 2) repatriation of Koreans in Japan to north Korea, 3) return of kidnapped Koreans in the north to south Korea and 4) proceeding of communist elements in south Korea to the north.
July 21. 1956
Minister Yong Shik Kim again called on General Lemnitser on February 21 and explained to him about the Japanese plan to expel 48 Koreans to north Korea. The Minister pointed out the to the General that the plan was a design engineered jointly Japan, north Korea and the Soviet Russia. The Genera│ reportedly promised that he would do whatever he can to stop the departure of the 48 Koreans.
July23, 1956
Pyongyang radio announced that north Korea is ready to extend livelihood subsidy for those Koreans in Japan expected to be repatriated early July.
July 23. 1956
Director-General, Tatsunosuke Takasaki of the Japanese Economic Planning Agency said in his campaigning speech that he desired an early interchange between Japan and north Korea. This is the first time that a Japanese cabinet minister openly urged the economic ties between Japan and the communist north.
July 24,1956
In reply to the Foreign Minister's letter of July 11, the ICRC answered to the effect that it had issued travel documents solely from the humanitarian considerations and had not acted in any way to affect the legal status of those Koreans.
July 25, 1956
Minister Yong Shik Kim reported that the Japanese Red Cross is said to have been negotiating with the ICRC for issuance to the 48 Koreans of necessary documents for travel to north Korea.
July 25. 1956
President of the Korean Red Cross Society addressed to Tadatsugu Shimazu, President of the Japanese Red Cross stressing that the deportation of Korean residents is strictly the political question and does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Red Cross.
The letter also pointed out that the Republic of Korea is the sole sovereign in Korea and therefore, has the unquestionable right and obligation to protect the Koreans in Japan.
August 2. 1956
The Korean Red Cross Society pointed out to the ICRC that the package deal of 4-way repatriation will promote the communist and Japanese political interests and will bring forth unjust and inhumane results.
August 4,1956,
The Foreign Minister sent a letter to Ambassador Dowling requesting for the assistance of U.S. Government in connection with the 48 Koreans.
August 15. 1956
The ICRC again in its letter of August 15 proposed to hold a meeting on October 15 at its Headquarters among the representatives of the Red Cross Societies of the Republic of Korea, Japan, and north Korea and the ICRC to discuss "the question of finding certain Koreans living at present either in Japan at in Korea itself a home of their choice on Korean soil. The letter said the meeting might perhaps take place in New Dehli at the time of 19th International Red Cross Conference.
August 17. 1956
Japanese press "Mainichi Shimbun " carried an article that concurrence by the Republic of Korea would set into motion a master formula proposed by the ICRC which aims at 1) that all south Koreans persons detained in north Korea be released and allowed toneturn to south Koreas 2) that all north Korean persons detained in south Korea be allowed to return to North Korea, 3) that all Korean persons in Japan desiring to go to north Korea be allowed to do so, and 4) that all Koreans in Japan desiring to go to south Korea be allowed to do so.
August 30. 1956
In Minister Kim's meeting with Nakagawa, the former told the latter that "inasmuch as this question (ICRC proposal of July 16, 1956) was still on the agenda of the formal K -J talks, there was no room for the ICRC to step into purely diplomatic problem between the two sovereign countries.
August 0k 1956
The Foreign Ministry released a statement to the effect that the Koreans in Japan are nationals of the Republic of Korea and the deportation of 48 Koreans would provides a precedent to deport all of 60,000 Koreans in Japan.
September 4. 1956
The Korean Red Cross Society sent a letter dated September 21 in reply to ICRC 's letter of August 15 in which the ICRC proposed to hold a meeting among the Red Cross Societies of the Republic of Korea, Japan, and north Korea and the ICRC. The letter explained in detail our position and rejected the proposed meeting on the ground that it was a fait accompli already decided among the Red Cross Societies of Japan and north Korea and the ICRC.
September 4. 1956
The ICRC sent a letter dated September 21 in reply to the KRC's letter of September 4, 1956. The ICRC only repeated in the letter its previous position on the issue.
December 6, 1956
The Foreign Minister cable-instructed Ambassador Limb in New York to bring the question of 48 Koreans before the United Nations and fight for our cause.
December 7,1956
The Foreign Minister cable-instructed Minister Yong shik Kim to lodge strong protest with Norwegian Minister against transporting by Norwegian vessel of 20 Koreans to Shanghai and to request that the vessel be directed to return to the port of embarkation.
December 7. 1956
Foreign Minister Cho issued a statement strongly protesting against deporting 20 Koreans to north Korea by the Japanese Government. The statement pointed out that the Koreans in Japan are nationals of the Republic of Korea which is the sole sovereign in Korea as recognized by the United Nations and that the Republic of Korea and Japan had agreed on mutual release and repatriation when the Justice Ministry blocked its implementation.
December 12. 1956
The ICRC addressed memorandum to three Red Cross Societies of the Republic of Korea, Japan and north Korea urging the letters to settle the question of Korean residents in Japan on in Korea who wished a home of their choice on Korean soil.
December 28. 1256
Sul Ya Han of north Korean puppet regime and Masaharu Hatanaka requested in New Dehli mediation by the Indian Red Cross for the repatriation of Koreans in Japan, release of Omura detainees and the Japanese fishermen.
January 4, 1957
In reply to ICRC's memorandum of December 12, 1956, the Korean Red Cross Society sent a memorandum to the ICRC reemphasizing our position.
March 4. 1957
Japanese press, "Yomiuri " in its article of March 4 quoted Prime Minister Kishi as saying that it would not be advisable to enter into direct negotiations with north Korea in view of the present relations between the Republic of Korea and north Korea and so many problems still unsettled between the Republic of Korea and Japan. Kishi went on, according to the press to say, however, this doesn't mean non-negotiations with north Korea for good and therefore, such problems closely affecting the Japan should be tackled as a matter of first importance.
December 3,1957
The Ministry received a replying letter from the ICRC to its letter of November 2, 1957. The letter was patterned after the previous ones and pointed out again that the issuance of travel documents to 48 Koreans was solely from the humanitarian reasons. With this letter, the lingering haggle over the question of 48 Koreans has at least superficially come to an end.