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Assembly in November, 1947, but denied access to North Korea by the Soviet Union, had appealed to the United Nations Interim Committee and been advised to proceed with the programme required by the General Assembly in such parts of Korea as were accessible to it. Accordingly, on 10 May, the Temporary Commission duly observed elections in South Korea, which it reported to be a valid expression of the free will of the Southern electorate. A." National Assembly " was thus brought into being which the Interim Committee intended should be a stage in the formation of a Korean Government." On 15 August, 1948, the Government chosen by this Assembly proclaimed the Republic of Korea, claiming jurisdiction over the whole country; shortly afterwards elections in North Korea, which were held in the communist style and without international supervision, set the stage for the proclamation there of a " Korean People's Democratic Republic" claiming similar jurisdiction. The Soviet Union then announced its intention to withdraw its troops from North Korea by 1 January, 1949, leaving behind it the relatively powerful North Korean Army. When the General Assembly came to discuss the Temporary Commission's report in November, 1948, it was thus confronted with an unenviable task. One objective of its 1947 resolution had been that representatives of the whole Korean people, elected under United Nations supervision, should participate in further consideration of the Korean question. There was a clear case for hearing the South Korean delegate, and only a small minority dissented. However, in response to the proposal now made by the East European countries that a delegation from the " Korean People's Democratic Republic " should be allowed to join in the discussions, it was pointed out by the New Zealand representative (Mr Fraser) that the Northern Government was disqualified so long as it flouted United Nations decisions and no satisfactory evidence could be produced that it was truly representative. The Political Committee shared this view and rejected the proposal by a large majority, while, by an even larger majority it rejected a Soviet resolution which condemned the southern regime and demanded the abolition of the United Nations Temporary Commission. The resolution on Korea finally adopted by the General Assembly and carried by 48 votes to 6 declares that there has been established a lawful Government (the Government of the Republic of Korea) having effective control and jurisdiction over that part of Korea where the Temporary Commission was able to observe and consult, and calls upon member States to take this fact into consideration in establishing their relations with this Government. Occupying Powers are recommended to withdraw their troops as soon as it is
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