The Rusk documents are the official diplomatic correspondence sent by Dean Rusk

Dean Rusk

David Dean Rusk was the United States Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Rusk is the second-longest serving U.S...

, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, to Yang You Chan (양유찬, 梁裕燦), the South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n ambassador to the U.S. The documents show the negotiating position of the U.S. State Department at the time.

The correspondence states the negotiating position as:

• Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration
  Potsdam Declaration
  The Potsdam Declaration or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender is a statement calling for the Surrender of Japan in World War II. On July 26, 1945, United States President Harry S...
  
   did not constitute a formal or final renunciation of sovereignty by Japan.
• The Japanese claim to the Liancourt Rocks
  Liancourt Rocks
  The Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto in Korean or in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan . Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea...
  
   would not be renounced in the peace treaty.
• The MacArthur
  Douglas MacArthur
  General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
  
   line stands until the conclusion of the Treaty of San Francisco
  Treaty of San Francisco
  The Treaty of Peace with Japan , between Japan and part of the Allied Powers, was officially signed by 48 nations on September 8, 1951, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California...
  
  .
• Japan has no obligation to compensate for damage to private property owned by Koreans that was damaged in Japan during the war.
• Japanese property in Korea is pursuant to directives of United States Military Government.

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