Korea went out of its way to accommodate the U.S. during the Vietnam War, newly declassified documents reveal. They show that Seoul urged Washington to relocate a U.S. base in Japan to Korea's Jeju Island and anticipated an official request for troops by asking Washington in March 1965 whether it would be asked to send combat troops to the conflict. It also proposed building a base for U.S. nuclear submarines in Korea.
The Foreign Ministry on Friday released diplomatic documents related to the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1973. Including papers from participating nations they total some 7,400 pages in 49 volumes. They include a review of the "Brown Memorandum", a 1966 agreement that provided Korea with economic and military support in return for additional troops to Vietnam.
 |
|
President Park Chung-hee reviews the ROK Marine Corps' 2nd Brigade, the "Blue Dragon Company," which had been tabbed for deployment to Vietnam as a combat unit.
|
 |
|
They show that during the first talks between the Korean and U.S. defense ministers in Washington on May 27, 1968, Korean defense minister Choi Young-hee said, "In Japan, they are calling for the withdrawal of a U.S. base, but a move of the base to Korea would be fully welcomed. We'll provide the necessary land." His successor Lim Chung-shik proposed Jeju Island as the location for the base the following year. In 1968, Choi also proposed sending spies into North Korea because South Korean intelligence-gathering capabilities were poor.
 |
|
At the port of Busan, family and residents welcome home the first rotation of 1,700 men of the Blue Dragon and White Tiger brigades as they return from Vietnam after completing their tour of duty.
|
|
|
President Park Chung-hee viewed the Vietnam issue pragmatically. After reading a Cheong Wa Dae report in January 1965 on troop deployment to Vietnam, Park left a hand-written note in the report saying, "Deploying troops may be unavoidable, but we will make sure we get sufficient compensation" from the U.S.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
