16 August 1946

Interview with 2nd Lt. Leonard Bertsch, political advisor for General Hodge.
Police Chief Chang of Kyonggi-do told me in a moment of confidence that he had been present at a dinner in mid-December at which were several high dignitaries of the Provisional Government. At that time they believed that the left had been completely thrown over by the American authorities and it was just a matter of time until some rightist was selected to head the administration. They considered that Song Chin Oo, head of the Hankook Democratic Party, was the only possible alternative to Kim Koo himself. In order to remove this threat to power, his assassination was plotted right there and then. He, Chang, warned Song several times, but he always replied that they wouldn't dare kill him. But late in December, he was assassinated. Chang says that if Col. Maglin, head of the Dept. of Police, would let him use his own methods he would get the killers to tell who hired them. As it stands the killers are in police hands but they refuse to disclose who hired them to do the job.

Recently, while Lyuh the younger was slightly intoxicated at a party, he told an interesting story and one which has every indication of being true. It seems that on the evening of 14 August 1945 the Japanese Governor General Abe asked Lyuh Wun Hyung, the elder brother to see him. Soon he returned saying that he had been asked by Abe to set up a government, that the Japanese were going to sign the surrender documents tomorrow. He also mentioned the fact that he had been the third individual to be asked by Abe to set up a government, first it was Song Chin Oo. The second is not known but thought probably to be Ahn Chai Hong. The two brothers drew up an organization including Song Chin Oo and many other leaders who were far from extreme leftists. However, the next day, the 15th, Lyuh the elder was called before Endo, the vice-governor, and told that the Americans would occupy only the Pusan and Mokpo areas. Luyh immediately revised his organization so as to include only communists and communist sympathizers, men who would be acceptable to the Russians.

ROBINSON