2H i - HAS SEEN MESSAGECENTEH 2 I 5224 wx C maaww232 SECT mi 0F 52232 MULT ACTION DISTR CMC cc WASHINGTON DC CSAF WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC I CSA WASHINGTON DC FILE 021 DECLASSIFIED - arc-- DE RUEHULA #8811 347299391 ZNY 20 STATE 22H U4 4 9 IMMTE 5 if 00 RUEHC WES- DE RUEHUL SA7O93G MMED I AL 299 SSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 4297 FM AMEMRASSY SEOUL ST SECTION G1 DP G2 SE as MIL SERVICE CHIEFS 3 21 axnie- 6 #t W3 WIGLETSTEEN W H I CIR-M Q If TAGS PINT MORE KS YOUNGER 2M9 of 1 TEXT k A 2 FOLLOWING ARE MY GROGGY CONCLUSIONS AT THIS STILL EARLY STAGE OF THE DECEMBER 12 INCIDENT IN SEOUL 3 WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A coup IN ALL BUT NAme THE GOVERNMENT PAGE I GOOGOGOG DE 2 0 1978 mm SEEN I gmw - w TLC -I Sec Def Cont W DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 66 5329 3 3 Q JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF 52 3753 MESSAGE CENTER EA r3522 - S MAMA PAGE 2 Slims 52232 REMAINS BUT ALMOST ALL SIGNS POINT TO A CAREFULLY PLANNED TAKEOVER OF THE MILITARY PONER POSITIONS PY A GROUP OF OFFICERS MAJOR GENERAL TU-MAN AD- VANTAGEO BY HIS PONERS OF SECURITY AND INVESTIGATION SEEMS THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE OF A GROUP OF MEN HHO NERE VERY CLOSE TO PRESIDENT PARK AND GENERALLY ASSOCIATED NITH SECURITY VARIOUS MOTIVATIONS MAY HAVE SEEN AT NORK REVENGE FOR PRESIDENT PARKIS DEATH CONCERN THAT THE OLDER OFFICERS HERE MISHANDLING POLITICAL Issues AND REAR THAT UNLESS THESE HERE MANAGED MORE DECISIVELY THAT SOCIAL UNREST HOULD BREAK OUT VERY SOON LONGSTANDING RIVALRIES AND NITHOUT DOUBT THE LUST FOR PONER AND COCKINESS 0F CERTAIN YOUNG OFFICERS THAT THEY KNON BETTER THAN THEIR ELDERS THE ORGANIZING GROUP PLANNED ITS ACTIONS FOR AT LEAST TEN DAYS AND OPEN SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE ARMED FORCES AMONG YOUNGER OFFICERS THEY HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED A LIST OF NEH ASSIGNMENTS IN THE ARMY AND THE PROMOTION OF THE NEH PRESENT VICE MINISTER KIM YONG HYU TO DEFENSE MINISTER 4 THE YOUNG TURN OFFICERS INTEND TO BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE THEY TO BE ANTI-COMMUNIST PRO-AMERICAN CONCERNEO NITH ADVANCING YOUNGER TALENT TO SENIOR POSITIONS AND DETERMINED TD PURSUE AN ORDERLY PROCESS OF POLITICAL LIBERALIZATION SOME OF THE ALLEGED MOTIVES ARE CONTRADICTORY AND OVER TIME A MORE DISTINCTIVE PATTERN MAY DEVELOP HHILE I AM ENCOURAGED TO HEAR THEY WANT TO AVOID SOCIAL UNREST AND ARE UNNILLING TO HAVE THEIR TROOPS ON THE I AM NOT ANARE OF MANY INSTANCES NHERE MILITANCY AND COCKINESS HAVE PERMITTED THE DEGREE 0F TOLERANCE AND COMRROMISE NECESSARY FUR SUCCESSFUL CAL ACTIVITY 5 THE NEN PATTERN OF AUTHORITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GROPING TO IDENTIFY DURING THE PAST FEM WEEKS HAS NON BEEN FURTHER COMPLICATED CIVILIAN AUTHORITY HAS BEEN FURTHER NEAKENED WITHIN THE MILITARY THE DIVISIONS I ESTIMATED AS POTENTIAL DANCERS A FEW MONTHS FROM NON HAVE ALREADY MANIFESTED THEMSELVES AND FINALLY JUST AS WE WERE SURPRISED BY THE SPEED OF THIS FONER GRAR HE SHOULD NOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT COUNTERMOVES OR SIMILAR ACTION EY PAGE 2 DECLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF MESSAGE CENTER PAGE hint-q-i-E J 7 32232 OTHER DISCONTENTS IF THE GOING GETS ROUGH 6 UNLESS ONE SNALLOWS THE YOUNG TURK RATIONALIZATIONS HOOK LINE AND SINKER THE DECEMBER 12 INCIDENT IS BAD NEWS FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW THE MILITARY OF KOREA WHO HAVE RENAINED REMARKABLY UNITED FOR 18 YEARS UNDER THE FIRM AUTHORITAPIAN HAND OF PARK CHUNG HEE HAVE NON ENGAGED IN ACTIONS OF INSUBOROINATION WHICH HAVE NOT ONLY GENERATEO ANIMOSITIES THAT MAY TAKE YEARS TO WORK THEIR WAY OUT BUT HAVE ALSO SET A PRECEOENT FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW IN DOING SO THEY TOTALLY IGNOREO THE COMBINED FORCES RESPONSIBILITIES EITHER IGNORING THE IMPACT ON THE U S OR COOLLY CALCULATING THAT IT WOULD NOT MAKE BY THEIR ACTIONS THEY HAVE ALSO RUN A SERIOUS RISK VIS-A-VIS NORTH KOREA WITHOUT GIVING IT MUCH THOUGHT ALTHOUGH WE MAY YET BE DELIGHT- FULLY SURPRISEO TO FIND THAT THEY ADOPT A POSITION ON POLITICAL LIEERALIZATION THAT STIFFENS THE SACK OF PRESIDENT CHOI AND PLEASES THE POLITICIANS THE ODDS ARE THAT WE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED IN AN EMOTIONAL POPULAR SENSE THE SIMILAPITY IN AMERICAN MINDS TO EVENTS OF 1961 MAY REOPEN ALL SORTS OF QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPFULLY CLOSED DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS IN TERMS OF AMERICAN ATTITUOES TOWARD KOREA 7 ULTIMATELY 0UP REAL INFLUENCE IS GOING TO STEM FROM KOREAN AWARENESS THAT THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DEPENDENT ON THE U 5 IN BDTH THE MILITARY AND ECONOMIC AREA #5 TEMPEPS COOL AND INDIVIDUALS BEGIN TU REFLECT WE MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WE WERE LAST NIGHT IN TRYING TO EXERCISE OUR INFLUENCE HOPEFULLY WE MAY FIND THAT SOME OF THE OFFICERS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TU REASUNING THAN OTHERS AND WE MAY DISCOVER BETTER WAYS TO OUR CONCERN LAST NIGHT GENERAL WICKHAM AND I DELIVERED A VERY STERN WARNING TU 50TH THE OLD MILITARY HIERAPCHV ET #8811 ANNOTES STAMP THIS NMCC pop 000 DECLASSIFIED NUMBER COPIES HAC ROE 431 PAGE 3 dhdidh hih n 1313192 JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF MESSAGE CENTER ZYUN MULT 52234 SECT 22 DE 52232 ACTION DISTR CJCSIE I CJCS DJSC 3 J5f 3 SECDEF USDPC I I 01 ENE CC WASHINGTON DC CSAF WASHINGTON DC CND WASHINGTON DC CSA WASHINGTON DC FILE DE RUEHULA #3811 3473939 ZNY assay Bases 20c STATE 22H oo FUEHC DE RUEHUL #8811 232 3479939 DECLASSIFIED ZNY ssaouvaaeas 22H 0 1339272 DEC 79 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO MASMDC IMMEDIATE same INFO TOKYO IMMEDIATE 4208 a @2 OF B2 SEOUL 18811 MIL ADDFES Ebb-1km FDR SERVICE CHIEFS AND THE NEW GROUP TELLING THEM THAT THERE WOULD SE GQAVE CONSEQUENCES IF A MILITARY FALLING OUT UNDEPMINED THE CIVILIAN PROGRAM TO BRING ORDERLY POLITICAL LIBERALIZATION TO KOREA THE STRONG PUBLIC STATEMENT ISSUED TODAY IN WASHINGTON WHICH WILL HIT A NIDEP MAY PROVE AN EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE WARNINE HAVE HAD THE STATEMENT BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF GENERAL CHUN AND HIS COLLEAGUES 8 I HAVE CALLED DN PRESIDENT CHOI TO EXPRESS OUR DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THESE IRRESPONSIBLE MILITARY ACTIONS SEPTELJ PAGE 1 Gui-Sinu awmmaem DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CENTER PAGE 32234 AND GENERAL NICKHAM ANO I AND OTHERS WILL OBVIOUSLY MAKE OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE NEXT PEN DAYS TO CONVEY TO THE NEN MILITARY GROUP OUR CONCERN OVER THE OANGER OF IN- SUBOROINATION PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT UP THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINING CONSTITUTIONAL CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE DANGER 0F OISAPPOINTING POPULAR EXPECTATIONS OF POLITICAL EVOLUTION WITHOUT THREATENING WE CAN POINT OUT THAT ANY ONE OF THESE ISSUES COULD MUSHROOM INTO A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN RELATIONS NITH DAMAGING EFFECT ON BOTH COUNTRIES A 9 AT THE SAME TIME I DO NOT THINK NE SHOULD TREAT IHE NEW MILITARY HIERARCHY AS 30 BAD THAT WE DECIDE TO RISK SERIOUSLY ALIENATING THEN NE WILL THEREFORE HAVE TO COUPLE OUR BLUNT TALK ANO WARNINGS WITH REAFFIRMATION OF OUR COMMON INTERESTS AND STATE THAT WE WISH THROUGH A PROCESS OF MUTUAL ACCOMMODATION TO CONTINUE OUR COOPERA- TION 1O GENERAL I WILL WORK our A PROGRAM OF PEOPLE TO SEE ANO THINGS TO SAY TO THEM NONE OP US LOOKS POPNARO NITH RELISH TO THIS PROSPECT BECAUSE we ALL HAVE SEEN ASSOCIATES DURING THE LAST SIX WEEKS NITH THIS TYPE OF MISSIONARY NOPK ANO so MOON OP IT SEEMS HASHED OONN THE DRAIN 11 GENERAL WICKHAM IS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH THIS MESSAGE GLEYSTEEN BT H8811 I ANNOTES NMCO FOR 000 3 NUMBER COPIES 5 0 gdz e STANP THIS - HAI R03 4931 530 PAGE 2 - - 1313212 DECLASSIFIED                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu