Yang You-Chan Presses for a Korean Place at Japan’s Peace Conference

When John Foster Dulles handed Yang You-chan the latest draft of the Japanese peace treaty on 9 July 1951, he told the Korean ambassador that the Republic of Korea would not sign it. Yang objected that the Korean Provisional Government had declared war on Japan and that Koreans had fought Japanese forces in China. American officials answered that the United States had never recognized that provisional government and that the proposed signatories were being drawn from states that had signed the wartime United Nations Declaration. [1]

Yang returned on 19 July with proposals concerning territory, Japanese property in Korea, and fishing rights. He wanted the restrictions on Japanese fishing associated with the occupation to remain until a fisheries agreement could be reached. Dulles resisted turning the peace settlement into a detailed fisheries convention, arguing that competing claims would delay it. Yang linked these questions to Korea’s bargaining position after Japan regained greater freedom of action and again sought a place among the signatories. [2]

The negotiations produced a partial concession. In August, the State Department revised provisions on property to protect dispositions of Japanese assets made under the U.S. military government in Korea. Yang nevertheless renewed his request for signatory status with Dean Rusk on 16 August, arguing that participation would strengthen Korea in later negotiations with Japan. Rusk offered little encouragement. Korea subsequently received an invitation to attend the conference as a nonsignatory power. [2] [3]

Related Diplomats

1. Yang You-chan [1] [2] [3]
2. John Foster Dulles [1]

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• South Korea and the United States
• Japan and the United States
• Republic of Korea
• Japan