• In this regard, one day shortly before the election, the ambassador was
presiding over the weekly country-team meeting. This particular day he was
especially concerned about the neutrality issue and talked about it at some
length. By the time he finished, everyone in the meeting was very aware of
how important Lilley considered this subject, and we were convinced that
anyone who violated this neutrality order would probably be sent home in
disgrace. Immediately after the meeting, Lilley had an appointment with a
certain retired Korean brigadier general, whom I went to greet and to es-
cort him into the ambassador’s office. When we entered the office’s recep-
tion area, the general busily began trying to pass out Roh Tae Woo campaign
buttons and campaign literature to several embarrassed embassy staffers.
Fortunately Ambassador Lilley had ducked into the restroom and missed
most of this event. We later joked about it, although I doubt he thought it
funny at the time.
A few days before the election, I took a trip to the southern area of Korea
to see Kim Jin Young, who by now was a major general in charge of the ROK
Army’s Third Military Academy. This was not considered a very good as-
signment for a major general, especially one who had received such rapid
promotions as Kim. But he had been involved in some controversy while a
division commander, and the conventional wisdom was that he was now
in disfavor. I did not really believe this was true, but in any case, I had al-
ways valued his friendship and was anxious to see him again. We had a good
visit, a tour of the academy, and enjoyed lunch with his staff officers.
Later that evening we met at a Korean-style restaurant for a private din-
ner. I was the host and had arranged for an excellent meal with hostesses,
music, and typical entertainment. General Kim was not interested in these,
however, so we ate alone quietly. This was not unusual, for he was a strong
Christian and seldom drank much, unlike some generals who frequently
enjoyed such parties. Instead, we discussed the upcoming election, our fami-
lies, and other such matters.
Kim Jin Young asked me who the embassy thought would win the elec-
tion. After emphasizing our neutrality, I replied that the Political Section
believed Kim Young Sam would win, but my office and others believed that
Roh would come out on top because the three Kims would split the opposi-
tion vote. “You are correct,” the general said. “Roh will win.” I sensed at
that time that General Kim believed he was personally vulnerable if Kim
Young Sam or another candidate besides Roh won. (This turned out to be
the case, of course, but not for over five years, when he was prematurely
and abruptly removed as army chief of staff by Kim Young Sam.)