cooperate fully and effectively with the Secretary General in achieving a settlement, he said, "Such a settlement has been asked for by the United Nations, is ardently desired by the American people, and has been awaited all too long by the people of Cyprus." (See also p. 206 for a resolution concerning missing persons in Cyprus.)

KOREA

U.S. policy in the United Nations on the question of Korea is based on concern for the maintenance of peace and security both on the peninsula and in northeast Asia in general. The U.S. position on the issue of Korean reunification at the 30th General Assembly stemmed from this fundamental concern; U.S. actions were influenced both by the resolutions adopted at previous Assembly sessions and by the moves of North Korea and its supporters during the year to seek UN endorsement of views inimical to American interests. In consideration of these developments, the United States and other friends of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) sponsored a resolution that was ultimately adopted by the General Assembly; however, an opposing resolution in support of the North Korean position was also adopted.

Background

On July 4, 1972, the Republic of Korea and North Korea issued a joint communique calling for peaceful reunification by independent Korean efforts and establishing machinery for further contacts and discussions between the two parties. The 28th General Assembly in 1973 approved a consensus statement urging South and North Korea to continue their dialogue looking toward the peaceful reunification of the country. The 29th Assembly in 1974 adopted a resolution sponsored by the United States and 27 other countries that, inter alia, endorsed the earlier consensus statement and asked the Security Council to consider the dissolution of the UN Command5/ in conjunction with appropriate arrangements to maintain the July 27, 1953, Armistice Agreement. In addition, the Assembly in 1974 narrowly defeated, by a tie vote in the First Committee, a

5/ The UN Command was established by a Security Council resolution on July 7, 1950, which requested UN members providing military forces and other assistance pursuant to earlier Security Council resolutions to make such forces available to "a unified command under the United States," requested the United States to designate the commander of such forces, and authorized the use of the UN flag.

pro-North Korean resolution sponsored by China, the Soviet Union, and 38 other states, that called for the withdrawal of all foreign troops stationed in South

Korea under the UN flag, but made no mention of the need to maintain the Armistice Agreement.

Developments in Early 1975

In early 1975 North Korea embarked on a campaign to broaden its support. This campaign included visits. by the North Korean leader, Kim Il-song, to Eastern Europe and North Africa during which he renewed calls for the United States to sign a peace agreement with North Korea to replace the Korean Armistice Agreement. (This proposal, first made in March 1974, did not provide for the inclusion of South Korea in the discussions relating to the security of the peninsula.)

On June 27 Ambassador Scali sent a letter to the President of the Security Council advising the Council that the United States was ready "to terminate the United Nations Command and, together with the Republic of Korea, to designate military officers of the United States and the Republic of Korea as successors in command, as provided for in paragraph 17 of the Armistice Agreement... The United States would implement this alternative arrangement on January 1, 1976, subject only to the prior agreement of the other signatories of the Armistice Agreement -- the Korean People's Army and the Chinese People's Volunteers -- that the Armistice Agreement would remain in force. The letter further said that the United States and the Republic of Korea were prepared to discuss the matter with the other parties directly concerned, as well as with the members of the Security Council should they so desire. Finally, the United States said it would undertake measures to reduce manifestations of the United Nations Command, including restricted use of the UN flag.

Inscription of Item on Agenda

On June 27 the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Japan, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (later joined by 13 more states) requested the inclusion in the agenda of the 30th Assembly of an item entitled "Urgent need to implement fully the consensus of the 28th session of the General Assembly on the Korean question and to maintain peace and security on the Korean peninsula." A proposed draft resolution accompanied the request.

On August 8, Algeria and 34 other states (later joined by seven more) requested the inclusion on the agenda of a supplementary item entitled "Creation of favorable conditions for converting the armistice into

a durable peace in Korea and accelerating the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea." A draft resolution accompanied the request.

On September 17 the Assembly's General (steering) Committee decided by a vote of 9 (U.S.) to 8, with 7 abstentions, to inscribe the item proposed by the United States and others, and by a vote of 17 to 0, with 7 abstentions (U.S.), to inscribe the item proposed by Algeria and others.

Tunisia and Senegal separately recommended the combination of the two items, although in different orders. At the chairman's suggestion, the Tunisian proposal, which placed the U.S.-cosponsored item as the first sub-item, was voted on; it was defeated by a tie vote of 9 (U.S.) to 9, with 5 abstentions. sult the Senegalese proposal, which placed the Algeriancosponsored item first, was accepted without vote. The General Committee also recommended that the combined single item, entitled "Question of Korea," be allocated to the First (Political and Security) Committee for consideration. The Assembly in plenary session adopted these recommendation on September 19.

Further U.S. Actions

On September 22, during the course of his address to the General Assembly (see Appendix I, p.377), Secretary of State Kissinger enlarged on the June 27 proposal, saying:

The United States and the Republic of Korea, looking forward to the time when a lasting solution of the Korean problem can be achieved, are herewith proposing to the parties of the armistice the convening of a conference to discuss ways to preserve the Armistice Agreement. At such a meeting, we would also be prepared to explore other measures to reduce tension on the Korean peninsula, including the possibility of a larger conference to negotiate a more fundamental arrangement.

"It goes without saying that no proposal for security arrangements on the Korea peninsula which attempts to exclude the Republic of Korea from the discussions can be accepted by the United States. The United Nations can contribute significantly to the process of peace on the Korean peninsula by supporting a responsible approach.

On the same day, Ambassador Moynihan sent a letter to the Security Council President advising him of the

steps taken to reduce manifestations of the UN Command in Korea and stressing the importance of the Armistice Agreement as the basis for peace and security in the Korean peninsula for over 20 years. On October 30 the UN Command also submitted a special report to the Council President, outlining its major activities during the year and including an account of North Korean violations of the Armistice Agreement.

The Draft Resolutions

On September 24 both draft resolutions were issued as First Committee documents, with the lower number, and presumed voting priority, assigned to the U.S. cosponsored draft, which had been the first submitted.

On October 10 the United States and 27 cosponsors submitted a revised draft that incorporated amendments that had been proposed by France and subsequently cosponsored by Belgium, Gambia, and Italy. In the resolution's final form, the General Assembly (1) reaffirmed the 1973 consensus statement and urged the South and the North of Korea to continue their dialogue to expedite the peaceful reunification of Korea; (2) expressed the hope that all the parties directly concerned would enter into negotiations on new arrangements to replace the Armistice Agreement, reduce tensions, and ensure lasting peace in the Korean peninsula; (3) urged all the parties directly concerned, as a first step, bearing in mind the need to ensure continued observation of the Armistice Agreement and the full maintenance of peace and security in the region, to embark on talks as soon as possible so that the UN Command might be dissolved concurrently with arrangements for maintaining the Armistice Agreement; and (4) expressed the hope that the discussions would be completed and alternative arrangements for the maintenance of the Armistice Agreement made so that the UN Command might be dissolved on January 1, 1976, and by that date no armed forces under the UN flag would remain in the South of Korea.

The Algerian-initiated draft resolution, ultimately sponsored by 43 states, (1) considered it necessary to dissolve the UN Command and withdraw all the foreign troops stationed in South Korea under the UN flag; (2) called upon "the real parties" to the Armistice Agreement to replace the Korean Military Armistice Agreement with a peace agreement in the context of the dissolution of the UN Command; and (3) urged the North and the South of Korea to observe the principles of the North-South joint statement of July 4, 1972, and take practical measures for ceasing arms reinforcement and reducing the armed forces of both sides to an equal level.

By a letter dated September 18, but not circulated until October 14, Algeria requested that this draft resolution be given priority and put to the vote before any other draft resolution.

First Committee Consideration

On September 30 the First Committee decided without objection to invite the delegations of South and North Korea to participate in the discussion without the right to vote. The Committee considered the question at 12 meetings between October 21 and 29; over 80 member states took part in the debate.

On October 21 the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Kim Tong-cho, stated that his government had tried unsuccessfully to implement the resolution adopted by the 29th Assembly. He emphasized the South Korean devotion to peace and related the various efforts, including the June 27 proposal for a conference of the parties directly concerned, undertaken to revive the dialogue between South and North, which had been unilaterally suspended by North Korea in August 1973, and to make possible the dissolution of the UN Command. The Foreign Minister said that North Korea, instead of showing the slightest positive response to these efforts, had subjected his country to "unparalleled abuse and provocation." Pointing specifically to the construction of tunnels beneath the demilitarized zone since 1972, which were built "clearly for military purposes, he invited the member states to investigate these tunnels and form their own judgments. He reiterated the main provisions of the 28-power draft resolution, including an unconditional call for a resumption of the South-North dialogue. He observed that the 43-power draft resolution would, if adopted, lead to the destruction of the present armistice system in Korea and dangerously increase the probability of war. The Foreign Minister concluded with a direct plea to the North Korean regime: "Let us follow, together, the path of national reconciliation and the peaceful unification of our fatherland."

The North Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Li Jong Mok, also spoke on October 21. In a bitter, vituperative speech he accused the United States of perpetuating the "colonial domination" of South Korea, claimed that a peace agreement with the United States would replace the "unstable" Armistice Agreement, and excluded South Korea from any discussion on the question of peace in Korea because "there are questions that should be settled with the United States while there are questions that should be settled with South Korea." Commenting upon the 28-power draft resolution offer to dissolve the UN Command provided the Armistice Agreement was maintained, he said: "The natural result is