특별보도자료

Headquarters United States Military Government in Korea, Department of Public Information, Seoul, Korea. Special Press Release. 30 June 1946. The following statement was made today by Lieutenant General John R. Hodge, Commander of United States Army Forces in Korea: I have been following with keen interest the reports of the progress being made by Dr. Kiu Sic Kim and Mr. Lyuh Woon Hyung in their current efforts to achieve a greater degree of cooperation and unity among the major political parties of southern Korea. While I believe that genuine unity and sincere cooperation should not be imposed from outside, but can best be achieved through the efforts of the Korean leaders themselves, working within the framework of the four freedoms, I need hardly state that the American Command fully endorses and supports in every way possible, the efforts of Dr. Kim and Mr. Lyuh. I have long been aware of the fact that the Korean people have become increasingly weary of political bickering and partisan recriminations. All my sources of information lead me to believe that the overwhelming majority of the Korean people sincerely desire that a basis for cooperation among their leaders be found. I am confident that Dr. Kim and Mr. Lyuh will succeed in replacing the antagonism between the parties with that harmony which the people of southern Korea desire, need, and deserve from all their political leaders. *************** Extract from Public Relations Office, Headquarters XXIV Corps, Seoul, Korea Special Press Release - 8 September 1946. The following statement was issued today by Lieutenant General John R. Hodge, Commanding General, United States Army Forces in Korea, in commemoration of the landing of American troops in Korea on September 8, 1945: "***We Americans have a clear conscience in our aims and efforts to help smaller nations; therefore we welcome just criticism. However, freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom of assembly allowed to the people in South Korea are being diverted to unwarranted attacks on our efforts to help the Korean nation and to spread entirely false representations of our aims and the aims of those conscientious Korean patriots who are cooperating in the effort to help their own people. Such diversion of democratic freedoms can be viewed only as license and violations of the basic principles of freedom of speech, press and assembly, and in flagrant cases as a violation of the provisions of Proclamation Number 2." ***** *************** 6 DECLASSIFIED Authority NND 826518