Conversation 715-001

TapeTape 715StartWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 11:41 AMEndWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 12:01 PMTape start time00:01:15Tape end time00:22:10ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.;  Yong-sik, Kim;  Kim, Dong Jo;  Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;  White House photographer;  [Unknown person(s)];  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office

On April 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Kim Yong-sik, Dong Jo Kim, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House photographer, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:41 am to 12:01 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 715-001 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 715-1

Date: April 26, 1972
Time: 11:41 am - 12:01 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield, Kim Yong-sik, Dong Jo Kim and Alexander
M. Haig, Jr.; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Greetings and introductions

     Seating

Butterfield left at 11:42 am.

     US-Republic of Korea [ROK] relations
         -ROK concerns
         -Park Chung Hee
         -People's Republic of China [PRC]
              -Communique
              -Private talks
         -Park Chung Hee
              -The President's Moscow trip
                    -Subjects of discussion
                    -ROK
                    -US commitments
         -Democratic People's Republic of Korea [North Korea]
              -Current attitudes
              -US support for Park
              -Soviet support
                                           2

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 7/07)
                                                             Conv. No. 715-1 (cont.)


**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 24s ]


    KOREA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

**************************************************************************


         -Soviet Union
         -Modernization of ROK forces
         -US commitments
              -Congress
                    -Supporters of ROK
                    -Opposition to US support for ROK
              -William P. Rogers's conversation with Kim
    Vietnam
         -ROK troops
              -Number
              -Areas of concern
         -North Vietnamese invasion
              -Duration
              -ROK forces
              -US air strikes
              -Paris peace talks
              -Ground action
                    -Allied actions
                    -ROK actions
              -Defeat of North Vietnam
                    -Impact on ROK
              -Soviet support
                    -North Vietnam
              -Stakes in war
                    -ROK forces
                                              3

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 7/07)
                                                                       Conv. No. 715-1 (cont.)


An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 11:42 am.

     Refreshments

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:01 pm.

                          -Withdrawal of troops
                               -Timing
                                     -The President’s trip to the Soviet Union
                          -US support
                          -Withdrawal of troops
               -US consultations with ROK
                    -Troop withdrawal
               -US retaliation
                    -Effectiveness
                          -B-52s
               -US air support
                    -Helicopters
               -US policy
                    -Kim's conversation with Rogers

     United Nations [UN]
          -George H. W. Bush
               -Abilities
          -Voting
               -US position
                     -PRC, Soviet Union
               -Biases
          -Humanitarian problems
               -Talks with North Korea
                     -Red Cross
                     -Berlin talks
                     -Status

     Korea
          -Modernization of ROK forces
          -Standard of living
          -US policies
               -Support in Congress
          -North Vietnamese invasion
               -Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
                                                4

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 7/07)
                                                               Conv. No. 715-1 (cont.)


               -Impact on US attitudes
               -Parallels with Korea
          -The President’s message for Park
          -The President's Soviet trip
               -Consultations
               -Compared with PRC trip
               -Park’s wishes
          -Koreans in US

     Reception for Kim and Dong
          -Unknown people

     Golf game
          -Burning Tree Country Club
          -Park

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:42 am.

     Presidential gifts
          -Golf balls

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:01 pm.

     Golf game

     Presidential gifts
          -Golf balls
                -Presentation
                       -Park

     The President's schedule
          -Foreign travel
                -US election
          -Trip to ROK
                -1953
                -View of ROK

     Photographs
          -Copies

     President and Mrs. Park
                                             5

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 7/07)
                                                                   Conv. No. 715-1 (cont.)


           -President and Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

     US election

     Car

Kim et al., left at 12:01 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I'm aware of your concerns.
I'm very concerned.
So I wanted to hear directly from you.
Thanks.
Any questions you have, you can find it at the 7th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th, 8th
And I can assure you that it was very strong, and our tribe talks to it with no question, and equally, that we pray for success, possibly, in the visit to Moscow.
I noticed that President Parkin indicated some concern about having Moscow involved in the future of Korea, to be sure.
No problem.
No problem.
We don't have an interest in the subject.
I don't anticipate one on that subject, which will be a major, minor discussion.
The big thing, I think, is more interested in the case.
I don't know what Moscow's interested in, but as far as we're concerned, our line on Korea, the one we took on the big thing, will be exactly the same line we take on Moscow, whereas that we have our treaty with the Republic of Korea, we have our commitment, we intend to,
And we're not going to compromise any of the principles that you fought for.
That's our whole way.
We'll let them pick a line they want.
And we also reject totally the attitude of the North Koreans and the experience of all of us doing this.
It's not our concern.
We are concerned for your government, your people, and these families.
In a case, we'll say, in rather silent language, but I'm sure you will in our talks, they say absolutely, I think there's, they have no doubt.
You know, if you're a rich person, no question, we're asking that just on a, just a strong privacy, more strong privacy, but we hope that in your facility, you know,
Of course, traveling the borderline is much easier for us.
But the past one year, we still had so many weapons and airplanes.
Yeah, that's a problem that you feel a lot of these questions, don't you?
Yes, we know.
We believe that.
That's why our workforce always doesn't learn too slowly.
so that the unit does not increase if you want to do something in an adventurous action that we can achieve in a safer course.
Also, we are very much happy about your commitment.
Both of us are in the service.
First, we are in the sales factory, and secondly, we are working
always speak to the Congress in work on the problem.
We're continuing to work on the problem.
I think we will do pretty well.
Obviously, you have many ambassadors in Congress.
Many of you work with them all the time, too.
You've got many partners in Congress.
But also, there are many people in this country that just don't want to do what is necessary to support people that are trying to resist Congress directly.
You can be sure of our support, my personal support, and don't get discouraged when you hear debates in the Congress or any one of those things.
We'll do the best we can.
Thank you.
Because we've made it to that end.
And we have no plans to reduce it.
We'll fight a lot for it.
If they get the next Congress, it'll be a little better on this one.
Yesterday, I had a good talk with your Secretary of State.
He was always very happy about it.
And also, as I mentioned about the way things were positioned, the troops in Facebook, we had, as your Excellency is aware, between 50,000 troops.
And earlier this afternoon, we wanted to withdraw about 20, but our Facebook friend wanted
Well, it seems to me, Minister, that it's important that
that the Korean forces recognize with our forces that this is the enemy.
It's a big push.
We think it's a lot easier.
But how they do it, we do not see.
And it's very important, James, that we, of course, are using massive aircraft.
We've doubled our aircraft since they started their defense.
And we will use it.
Despite the fact that we're going back to the Paris talks, we're going to continue to bomb all of the talks.
We bought that once.
We're never going to buy it again.
In the meantime, however, on the ground, it's vitally important that all of our people take as strong action as they can to resist the enemy.
I know your Korean forces have been moving up the roads there, fighting some pretty hard fights.
I just hope you continue, because this is the time to break the back of the enemy.
And if you well realize it, we break the back of the communists in Vietnam to help them in Korea.
That's what's wrong.
So it isn't just Vietnam.
It's just this whole business.
What they're doing in Vietnam is to support us.
That's what we do with its tanks and its guns.
What they're doing in Korea and North Korea is to support us.
So we do it in Vietnam with their tanks and guns.
Now, if we stop them in Vietnam and crack them there, these are illustrious.
their, their, and also the main discourage to the state .
But all of our people will go all out and kill you anyway you can.
But in fact, that was the security of .
Your emphasis is so that we come to ourselves that we don't have to wait in our shoes.
We end up this way because we know that we are going to have this impossible.
Everything now we have achieved.
In that sense, we do very happy to be done.
After me, we were clear that we wanted to consult with him and also your emphasis itself.
Although this is a matter of
matter of the consultation because whatever we get actually always we like to have a talk and people to listen about it.
Sure, sure.
And in an evaluative situation that what we are concerned about that we do like to have same support from you sir, a part which we enjoy from your trips, now that your trips are reduced, there are hours supporting us in the conventions there.
That's true.
That we are concerned about.
So, we are discussing with you, the general in the scientific department.
So, this time I would like to say that we would like to say support from you.
As far as that problem is concerned, the President made it clear last year, he made it step by step.
And this is also for the education of all aspects.
We decided later, but we always, as you see, we are there to cooperate.
Well, we appreciate that.
It's mutual, though.
Yes.
We'll be on a chance.
Yes, sir.
You know, we've always been in consultation with you.
Yes, sir.
The key point as far as our actions, there's that massive air.
I mean, we're really talking about 802s, naval aircraft, marine aircraft.
We've got to keep that there.
They're going to have a very hard time.
And despite their gaining some territory here and there, they won't be able to .
If we were able to stop the Indonesian ocean,
I think our choice is the cooperation of yours.
They are working beautifully.
They are hard.
And also, it is better that you choose that we have a full territory to submit it to your representative.
And there's no room for that.
And also that I have talked with the central state yesterday that when you are painting churches, they are solely for defending freedom.
And some people try to get a real course and then either use that for their platform or some other factors that create all these things.
I was assured by the U.S. embassy that he would support us in all the tactics and all the advantages.
Well, they have, on that, our alliance is unequivocal.
They'll make another run at you this year in the U.S., but we'll have to fight off the fools.
But Bush is a very good man.
Yes, I met him that day.
Very good man.
He had his instructions, and I think we can beat him.
Yes, but they'll be after him.
Each year they'll be a little faster.
But on the other hand, this year we can do that.
And we can be sure of our position.
So I'm inflexible on that thing.
It's inflexible.
And the Chinese and the Russians know this.
And we put that to the .
Just like that.
Yes.
But on the other hand, that doesn't mean that we all have to work.
I mean, there are people that will work.
Yes.
And so forth.
Because these votes are in the UN.
You wonder, does that organization, which side it's on sometimes,
and also this is our case that the last year, which is August, we started with a crossroad, because we know that there are mediterranean problems in North Korea, but now initiatives that they needed to have, of course, before is the preliminary stage, but soon we expect to have a full-text conference, and perhaps we can expect to set some problems, setting mediterranean initiatives.
I think we are trying
You never know what those fellows will agree to.
But it seems to me that's a good start.
We naturally, it's your decision, but we certainly support any humanitarian, like we did in Berlin.
If you could upgrade those talks in Red Cross to official status, I think it would be very useful, if you're considering that.
From the election, we say that the 90% of everything from Berlin
In North Korea, the most important thing is to be in strength, because if you have enough strength, it's much easier for us to understand the problems.
In that particular event, we are looking for that early material, the implementation of the modernization of our terms there.
And also your continuous strength, this is very important.
Your presence only made it possible to build a peace in Korea.
That's how 32 million people work at day and night, and for developing and raising their standard of living.
So it's your presence here, it's very important.
And your determination, residency, long to the other side, that is holding their mission.
This is our belief, sir.
Well, we are not alone.
And we will continue, I think, to have support in the Congress.
As a matter of fact, the fact that the North Indian Army launched this massive invasion over the Greenland Sea has, I think, sort of changed the attitude in this country about the war and the Syracuse Man.
Not to look at it as a piece of it and impress people, but it's all massive.
And so it lets people see what they're doing.
The common support of the big in one country by another.
That's the way it is.
And that's what happened to you, we recall.
And it was pretty clear then.
And so for we didn't miss out on our program.
But in the meantime, on all these issues, you can tell the rest of the park that we're working together.
We're full of core.
We're our firm.
as far as our Soviet and we'll back to Europe after our, but we do, sure, we have in mind, but we'll keep getting far and probably through here faster than we're otherwise.
That's true, but whatever it is, we're going to discuss better than anything in Korea on the communique.
You can be sure it will not be any less strong than it was in China.
It'll probably give us, say, many estimations that
I'm surprised to see so many friends come to us yesterday and wish
when he came to join us.
Yes.
And we played golf with him.
This is where Preston played golf.
Yes, it was when Vice President Arnold came in and we played.
We have several courses now.
I used to play vintage whenever I go back to Korea.
I mean in Korea also.
Well, they used to insist to play without people insisting.
Yeah, very, very.
That's my call.
I don't play anymore.
One day, as you know, we have an election this year.
I will not be able to do any more traveling after I go to the election.
But it's very much in my mind at some point to come.
You see, when I go to that part of the world again, I certainly will.
Because I have many pleasant memories of my many years of playing.
I'm proud of what we've done, I'm proud of what you've done.
One day I'll be back to see you.
Thank you.
Well, we'll send you a copy of this picture so that later you'll be back.
Look forward to seeing you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.