• manner. At the end of the day, the ambassador was reasonably upbeat, but
I think this was a misunderstanding of the Korean side’s intention.
That same day General Wickham met with the ROK defense minister and
JCS chairman.^10 He pointed out the danger of using military forces against
civilians, but he also stressed the importance of coordination with CFC in
the event troops were so used. Combining these two subjects together was
a mistake, for it seemed to indicate to the Koreans that Wickham might be
already resigned to the use of troops. Thus, his earlier advice against using
military forces to control civilians lost much of its power.
My Meeting with Roh Tae WooThe same day that Gleysteen was meeting with Chun, I was finishing some
routine administrative work when I received a telephone call from the ROK
Army chief of foreign liaison, Col. Lee Sang Hun. He asked if I were avail-
able to meet with Gen. Roh Tae Woo that afternoon. I replied that I was. He
then said that a car would pick me up in ten minutes in front of the U.S.
Embassy. I promptly finished what I was doing and left my office.
The car arrived almost immediately. We drove to General Roh’s headquar-
ters in a compound just behind the famous Korea House restaurant, where
many foreigners often gathered to enjoy typical Korean food and some cul-
tural entertainment. As I entered the area, I observed that the soldiers were
very active, were busy checking their vehicles, and had their combat gear
close by. This was not their normal defense posture, and although they did
not appear to be on full alert, they were certainly at an alert status higher
than normal. My assessment was that they could be deployed in a very short
time if the order was given.
I was met at the front of the headquarters of the Capital Defense Com-
mand by Colonel Lee and escorted up the stairs to the waiting room where
the commanding general met his visitors. Within a few moments, Roh Tae
Woo entered. A pleasant, outgoing man, he was dressed in his neatly pressed
combat-fatigue uniform, with highly shined boots, presenting an impres-
sive and distinguished appearance. He greeted me warmly, and we made
small talk while the customary InSam Cha was served.^11 Soon the general
turned to more serious matters.
He began on a philosophical note, reflecting on his days at the KMA,
noting that it was founded by an American general, James Van Fleet, and
that to a large degree the education received there reflected American val-
ues. He spoke of the writings of Thomas Jefferson and described democracy