|
Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Guri Guy

Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Location: Bamboo Island
|
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
The United States of America never stated that the Liancourt Rocks were Korean territory. In fact, they did the exact opposite. This is before and after the San Francisco Peace Treaty.
Monday, August 11, 2008
1951 August; Rusk's Letter
History of San Francisico peace Treaty: Part Twelve
There is a document called as "Rusk's Documents", "Rusk note" or "Rusk's Letter". This document has been already referred to by Gerry here:
http://dokdo-or-takeshima.blogspot.com/2007/12/1953-jul-22-us-doc-reconfirms-dean-rusk.html
This document is a very important one, as USA brought this document every once in a while when they needed to persuade Korean government. So I would dare to show here the whole document. If you want to see the original document, please click the above.
His Excellency
Dr. You Chan Yang, Ambassador of Korea.
Excellency:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your notes of July 19 and August 2, 1951 presenting certain requests for the
consideration of the Government of the United States with regard to the draft treaty of peace with Japan.
With respect to request of the Korean Government that Article 2(a) of the draft be revised to provide that Japan "confirms that it renounced on August 9, 1945, all right, title and claim to Korea and the islands which were part of Korea prior to its annexation
by Japan, including the islands Quelpart, Port Hamilton, Dagelet, Dokdo and
Parangdo," the United States Government regrets that it is unable to concur in
this proposed amendment. The United States Government does not feel that the
Treaty should adopt the theory that Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration on
August 9, 1945 constituted a formalor final renunciation of sovereignty by Japan over the areas dealt with in the Declaration. As regards the island of Dokdo, otherwise known as Takeshima or Liancourt Rocks, this normally uninhabited rock formation was according to our information never treated as part of Korea and, since about 1905, has been under the jurisdiction of the Oki Islands Branch Office of Shimane Prefecture of Japan. The island does not appear ever before to have been claimed by Korea. It is understood that the Korean Government's request that "Parangdo" be included among the islands named in the treaty as having been renounced by Japan has been
withdrawn.
The United States Government agrees that
the terms of paragraph (a) of Article 4 of the draft treaty are subject to
misunderstanding and accordingly proposes, in order to meet the view of the
Korean Government, to insert at the beginning of paragraph (a) the phrase,
"Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Article", and then to add a
new paragraph (b) reading as follows:
(b) "Japan recongnizes the validity of
dispositions of property of Japan and Japanese nationals made by or pursuant to directives of United States Military Government in any ofthe areas referred to in Articles 2 and 3".
The present paragraph (b) of Article 4 becomes paragraph(c).
The Government of the United States regrets that it is unable to accept the Korean Government's amendment to Article 9 of the draft treaty. In view of the many national interests involved, any attempt to include in the treaty provisions governing fishing in high seas areas would indefinitely delay the treaty's conclusion. It is desired to point out, however, that the so-called MacArthur line will stand until the treaty comes
into force, and that Korea, which obtains the benefits of Article 9, will have
the opportunity of negotiating a fishing agreement with Japan prior to that
date.
With respect to the Korean Government's desire to obtain the benefits of Article 15(a) of the treaty, there would seem to be no necessity to oblige Japan to return the property of persons in Japan of Korean origin since such property was not sequestered or otherwise interfered with by the Japanese Government during the war. In view of the fact that such persons had the status of Japanese nationals it would not seem appropriate that they obtain compensation for damage to their property as a result of the war.
Accept, Excellency, the renewed
assurances of my highest consideration.
For the Secretary of State:
Dean Rusk
Dean Rusk (1909-1994) was an Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs in the 1950's when he wrote this document, later he became the 54th United States Secretary of State in 1961 and worked with John F. Kennedy.
http://dokdo-or-takeshima.blogspot.com/2008/08/1951-august-rusks-letter.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Guri Guy

Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Location: Bamboo Island
|
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
As well as that, there is this letter stating the United States' military position on the Dokdo/Takeshima issue.
| Quote: |
Thursday, December 13, 2007
1954 Report of Van Fleet mission to the Far East
The Report of Van Fleet Mission to the Far East is a secret report drafted by James Van Fleet, a US special mission ambassador, after a round of visits to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and sent to the 34th U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954.
To follow is from the report:
The Island of Dokto (otherwise called Liancourt and Take
Shima) is in the Sea of Japan approximately midway between Korea and Honshu
(131.80E, 36.20N). This Island is, in fact, only a group of barren, uninhabited
rocks. When the Treaty of Peace with Japan was being drafted, the Republic of
Korea asserted its claims to Dokto but the United States concluded that they
remained under Japanese sovereignty and the Island was not included among the
Islands that Japan released from its ownership under the Peace Treaty. The
Republic of Korea has been confidentially informed of the United States position
regarding the islands but our position has not been made public. Though the
United States considers that the islands are Japanese territory, we have
declined to interfere in the dispute. Our position has been that the dispute
might properly be referred to the International Court of Justice and this
suggestion has been informally conveyed to the Republic of Korea.
General Van Fleet's view is as follows:
Unilateral proclamation of sovereignty over the seas (Syngman Rhee line) is illegal.
The United States had concluded Japanese sovereignty over the rocks.
The dispute over the rocks might properly be referred to the International Court of Justice.
As the San Francisco Peace Treaty* shows, Liancourt rocks (Takeshima/Dokdo) were not included in the list of islands which Japan should give back to Korea.
*Japan recognizing the independence of Korea, renounces all right, title and claim to Korea, including the islands of Quelpart, Port Hamilton and Dagelet.
USA meant that Liancourt rocks (Takeshima/Dokdo) are Japanese territory and recommend to go to the International Court of Justice - Japan proposed Korea to go to ICJ twice since then but they kept rejecting the proposal. |
http://dokdo-or-takeshima.blogspot.com/2007/12/report-of-van-fleet-mission-to-far-east.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|