§ Mr. Piratinasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the recent consideration of the Report of the Temporary Commissioner on Korea, he will make a statement on the frontier in South Korea and the prospects of the withdrawal of American troops from that country.
Mr. McNeilThe hon. Member presumably refers to the 38th parallel which was established as the dividing line for the surrender of Japanese forces to the United States and Soviet military auhorities, respectively. As a result of the attitude of the Soviet Government, Korea remains divided at the 38th parallel with a Communist so-called "People's Republic" to the north and a democratic goverment in the south, which was elected under the auspices of the United Nations Temporary Commission, and which has since been recognised by His Majesty's Government as well as by the United States, France, China and the Philippines. The United States forces remaining in South Korea are there at the invitation of the Korean Government for the purpose of training local defence forces.