Letter No. 96 from the President (Syngman Rhee) to Minister Duk Shin Choi

October 30, 1957

No. 96

TO: Minister Duk Shin Choi

Saigon

FROM: The President

Thank you for your Weekly Report Number 060 dated October twentyfifth [sic] and also for the enclosures received with it.

Copies of your information in regard to the reaction of the Colombo Plan nations have been made and sent to our Ambassadors in Washington and London. It was very interesting to read how the individual governments acted. I fully understand that America is not keen about the Plan because Japan is a member and all that the Americans are interested in is to build up Japan and think Korea will only cause trouble in some way or another if she were to be admitted. It is very unfortunate that the British had failed to support our application more effectively.

In order to ensure success of our getting into the Colombo Plan Conference next year, we will all have to work very hard and I am instructing Ambassador Yang to exert all his efforts as the next meeting will be held in Washington.

It is also interesting to follow the thinking of the Spanish minister. When you see him again and the question of Korean unification comes up ask him if he really thought that recognition of Red China s membership in the U.N. was the price we have to pay for Korea's unity. Tell him that the Communists will take over Korea and make Korea another China. The other day we received postal cards from the north which showed people standing in front of theaters and schools and most of them were Chinese. Sooner or later there will not be a single Korean left if we continue to be passive.

I am deeply concerned about President Eisenhower's peace-at-any-cost policy because this will not only destroy Korea in the end but America too. How long does he think he can continue giving in to the Communists - in the Middle East, Korea or anywhere else.

We have notified the FAO in Home that we will support Vietnam's application for a seat in this organization. Please inform the authority concerned accordingly.