DEPARTMENT OF STATE 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
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 credentials and to request an appointment with the President.
After the usual exchange of courtesies, the Ambassador expressed his 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 President 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 Washington. 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 advanced 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 struggling against the aggressors. 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, considering that the chief obligation of all Koreans should now be to save their country and to ameliorate the misery of millions of its inhabitants.
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 made to accept this post in spite of the personal and
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financial sacrifices involved.
No matters of a political nature were discussed.
S/S-PR:JFSimmons:jjm