Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of Korea Dr. Yu Chan Yang, and the Counselor of the Embassy of Korea Sae Sun Kim

7599 s DEPARTMENT OF STATE . AND RECORDS : SERVICE* USE 137 Memorandum of Conversation DATE: May 22, 1951 SUBJECT: First Call of the Ambassador-designate of Korea PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary The Ambassador-designate of Korea Mr. Sae Sun Kim, Counselor, Korean Embassy COPIES TO: S S/S S/S-PR FE NA 1-1493 His Excellency Dr. You Chan Yang, newly appointed Ambassador of Korea, called on me today at 2:30 p.m. to present copies of his cre- dentials and to request an appointment with the President. After the usual exchange of courtesies, the Ambassador expressed bis pleasure at being appointed to Washington. He mentioned the fact that he had built up a large medical practice in Hawaii, and that he had never had the intention of giving up this practice until the Presi- dent of Korea recently approached him and urged him, for the good of his country in the present crisis, to accept the post of Ambassador to Wash- ington. He said that he had asked for a twenty-four hour delay to think this over. After this delay, and convinced by the strong arguments ad- vanced by his President, he finally made the decision to accept. He said that his medical practice has now been divided between two other doctors and that he has given it up permanently. He spoke in glowing terms of what the United States represents in this world crisis, where American policy represents the hope and inspiration of the free world now strug- gling against the agressors. He gave assurances of his full cooperation with me in all matters affecting our two countries. He said that he was happy to make the sacrifice of abandoning his previous life work, con- sidering that the chief obligation of all Koreans should now be to save their country and to ameliorate the misery of the millions of its in- habitants. I told the Ambassador that I was very pleased to welcome him to Washington, and that I would always be willing to extend full cooperation in all of the important matters which he would bring up in connection with his official duties here. I assured him of my appreciation of the decision he had mede to accept this post in spite of the personal and financial