On December 12, 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolu­tion declaring that there had been established a lawful Government in Korea (the Government of the Republic of Korea) and recommending that member states take this resolution into consideration in establishing their relations with the Govern­ment of Korea. Full recognition was also given to the Republic by the United States, on January I, 1949, and by the United Kingdom, on January 17, 1949.

2. Mr. Hopkins, Legal Adviser of the Department of External Affairs, has given the opinion that adoption of the December 12 resolution by the General Assembly gave rise to a duty of recognition by member states. The following political consid­erations would, in addition, indicate the desirability for Canadian recognition:

(a) Canada's interest in Korea was manifested by Canadian participation during 1948 on the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea and by Canadian support for the United Nations resolution of December 12, which was based on the report of the Commission;

(b) It is generally desirable to give moral support to the democratically‑elected South Korean regime, especially so in view of its location on the fringe of Commu­nist‑dominated territory;

(c) Canadian recognition would facilitate the work of Canadian missionaries now in Korea and the establishment of trade relations for Canadians generally;

(d) Recognition would not give rise to any new obligation to establish a diplo­matic mission in South Korea. Canada would continue to use the facilities of the United Kingdom Mission in Seoul.

3. It will be noted that the recognition given by Canada to Israel was only de facto, or provisional, because of the unstable conditions still prevailing in Israel and the undetermined status of that country's borders, In the case of South Korea, however, conditions are relatively stable and the borders are clearly defined; and unqualified or full recognition (which amounts to de jure recognition) may there­fore be granted.

Recommendation

It is accordingly recommended as follows:

that approval be given to a declaration that Canada grant full recognition to the Government of the Republic of Korea, the declaration to be made in the form of a statement by the Secretary of State for External Affairs in the House of Commons during the present session.²⁵ A draft of this proposed statement is attached as Annex 1. &dagger ;

²⁴ Quoique rédigée selon le format employé pour les notes au Cabinet. cette copie ne fut pas signée. II semble, selon les renvois aux conclusions do Cabinet, qu'elle ne fut pas presentee en tant que note du secrétaire d'État aux afaires extérieures pour le Cabinet.
Although the format is that of a memorandum to Cabinet, this copy is unsigned and the reference in the Cabinet Conclusions suggests that it was not presented as a memorandum from the Secretary of State for External Affairs to the cabinet.

²⁵ Le Cabinet donna son appropbation le 17 Wrier.
Approved by Cabinet on February 17.