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Appendix B: Lt. Gen. John Hodge’s Statement to the Korean People
- The University of Alabama Press
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Appendix B: lt. Gen. John hodge’s statement to the Korean People The armed forces of the United states will soon arrive in Korea for the purpose of receiving the surrender of the Japanese forces, enforcing the terms of surrender, and insuring the orderly administration and rehabilitation of the country. These missions will be carried out with a firm hand, but with a hand that will be guided by a nation whose long heritage of democracy has fostered a kindly feeling for peoples less fortunate. how well and how rapidly these tasks are carried out will depend on the Koreans themselves. hasty and ill-advised acts on the part of its residents will only result in unnecessary loss of life, [and] desolation. Present conditions may not be as you would like them. for the future of Korea, however, remain calm. Do not let your country be torn asunder by internal strife. Apply your energies to peaceful pursuits aimed at building up your country for the future. full compliance with these instructions will hasten the rehabilitation of Korea and speed the day when the Koreans may once again enjoy life under a more democratic rule.1 ...