1969년 4월 2일 미국 워싱턴을 방문한 정일권 총리 일행이 미국 국무부의 Deputy Assistant Secretary of State인 Winthrop G. Brown을 만났을 때 나온 얘기인데,
1945년 이후로 미국이 점령/통치하고 있는 오키나와를 일본에 반환해서 한국-오키나와-대만으로 이어지는 '반공' 전선에 구멍이 생기면 안된다, (만약 일본이 비협조적으로 나와 구멍이 생기면) 'compensating strength'를 키우기 위해서 한국해군을 키울 수도 있을 것이라고 말했네요.
Okinawa is connected to the main line of resistance against communist aggression, the line which runs from Korea through Okinawa to Taiwan and beyond. It is therefore very important that the United States not give up its nuclear and other rights on its Okinawa bases. The United States must not allow this gap to develop in the defensive line. The Prime Minister said that eventually it might be possible to build up compensating strength, for example, to build up the ROK Navy, but this sort of thing would take a long time.
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v19p1/d6
6. Memorandum of Conversation1
Washington, April 2, 1969.
SUBJECT
- Call of the Prime Minister of Korea on the Secretary of State
PARTICIPANTS
- His Excellency Chong Il-kwon, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea
- His Excellency Dong Jo Kim, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea
- Honorable Lee Hu-rak, Secretary-General to the President of Korea
- Mr. Hong Song-chol, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister
- Honorable Winthrop G. Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
- Mr. James F. Leonard, Country Director for Korea
Okinawa
The Prime Minister said the second point he would raise was the problem of the United States bases in Okinawa. He was sure this would be discussed by the Secretary during his meetings in Japan and by the Japanese Foreign Minister when he came to Washington. He pointed out that Japan’s security problems, both external and internal, would take a very different shape if the ROK did not occupy the position it did.
Japan and the United States had a mutual defense treaty, but the Japanese did not seem to be clear about who was threatening their security. They are trying to bargain with the United States over Okinawa and fail to realize that their treaty with the United States really benefits not the United States but Japan. Okinawa is connected to the main line of resistance against communist aggression, the line which runs from Korea through Okinawa to Taiwan and beyond. It is therefore very important that the United States not give up its nuclear and other rights on its Okinawa bases. The United States must not allow this gap to develop in the defensive line. The Prime Minister said that eventually it might be possible to build up compensating strength, for example, to build up the ROK Navy, but this sort of thing would take a long time.
The Secretary responded that the United States well understands the Korean attitude on the Okinawa problem. The Japanese, of course, [Page 14]make a plea on this matter which is almost the opposite of the position the Prime Minister had set forth. The United States is nevertheless very conscious of the factors to which the Prime Minister had drawn attention and will have these factors very much in mind during the negotiations with the Japanese.