Chang Calls Off U.S. Visit After Rebuff

Press, Volume C, Issue 29523, 26 May 1961, Page 13

Chang Calls Off U.S. Visit After Rebuff

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright)

NEW YORK, May 24. Lieutenant-General Do Yung Chang, South Korea’s revolutionary leader, today called off his plan to visit President Kennedy in Washington, according to an Associated Press dispatch from Seoul. The United States State Department said such a meeting was not feasible, for the time being.

An aide of General Chang said he definitely was not leaving today and did not know when he would leave. Associated Press said. Earlier, General Chang and four assistants planned to leave this afternoon for Tokyo, where they would catch a jet • airliner to the United States. They have reservations for the flight. They asked for visas from the United States Embassy, but the visas were not granted, A.P. said. Informed of the rejection of the visa applications, a South Korean Foreign Ministry source said in Seoul that he had no idea whether General Chang would make a new application for a visit

to the United States without the specific purpose of visiting President Kennedy. • General Chang, who announced his planned visit to Washington at a press conference yesterday, said then: “I am informed reliably that Mr Kennedy also wishes to see me.” General Chang said the purpose of the planned visit was “to accelerate the understanding of the United S’ates Government and the American people ' on the course of the revolution and coup and obtain their support”