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317 Appendix F Letter from President Syngman Rhee to the emperor of Japan, June 18, 1919 Syngman rhee President June Eighteenth Nineteen Nineteen Your majesty: Permit me to at once assure Your majesty, and the people of Japan, of our sincere intent to establish perpetual peace, good will and co-operation between the Peoples of Japan and Korea. We first address Japan, with the hope and may we not say with the expectation, that our differences may be explained and done away with, avoiding outside intervention. may we not now, bespeak from Japan, her aid and co-operation, appealing to her generous impulses, for the welfare of sister State? I am impelled by duty to my people to officially inform you, and without anger, animosity or offensive intent, that on april 23rd, 1919, Korea became a completely organized, self governed State. all formalities were strictly followed and adhered to. a call and declaration that had been prepared by consent and will of the people of Korea, was publicly read and proclaimed in over three hundred places in Korea, simultaneously, on march 1st., 1919. Complying with the declaration and call, Delegates were elected by the People from each of the thirteen Provinces. these Delegates convened at Seoul, Korea, on april 23rd, 1919 and there and then organized and created the Korean National Council, a representative legislative body, to govern Korea. the Korean National Council at the same session, honored me, by electing me President of the republic of Korea, and also elected other executive officers. Other Powers, especially those with whom Korea has treaty covenants , calling for their good offices, have been officially notified of these 318 Appendix F facts. No doubt you have already been fully advised of them through other channels. Korea is now in a position to govern herself, and in her own way. She has chosen the representative form of government, of and by the people, in regular, orderly manner. It is my duty, and the desire of the people of Korea, that in the name, and by the authority of the republic of Korea, that I ask Japan to withdraw all armed and military forces from Korea, and all Japanese officials, civilian and otherwise, of every description, with the exception of the usual diplomatic envoys and counsels. It is our desire that you, in regular form recognize the republic of Korea, as a distinct, independent, sovereign State, and that all supposed treaty covenants inconsistent with these objects be acknowledged to be void. let past differences and disputes be now adjusted and eliminated, and let us enter upon a new era of perpetual peace and good will between our two nations. again assuring your majesty of the sincere intent of this communication to bring about such friendly relations, I am, Your majesty. respectfully, [Syngman rhee] President of the republic of Korea, to His majesty, the Emperor of Japan. Source: SRCE 1, p. 139. ...

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