Meritorious Service Record

Fred A. Dolph was a legal advisor and advocate for Korean independence in the United States.
In June 1919, Syngman Rhee appointed Dolph as the legal advisor for the so-called “Republic of Korea.” On June 27, 1919, Dolph wrote to Senator Selden P. Spencer of Missouri, explaining the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the “Republic of Korea.” He urged the United States to honor the 1882 Korea-U.S. Treaty and assist the Korean people. In response, Senator Spencer introduced Senate Resolution No. 101 on June 30, 1919, requesting the U.S. government’s stance on whether it could assist Korea under the treaty’s “good offices” clause.
On August 30, 1919, Dolph submitted a declaration titled “Statement and Brief for the Republic of Korea” at the Korean Commission meeting in Washington, D.C. Kim Kyu-sik, the chairman, read and adopted it, resolving that Kim Kyu-sik and Syngman Rhee would jointly sign and execute the document. Rhee then instructed that Dolph send copies to the U.S. State Department, the Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committees, the presiding officers of both houses, all U.S. senators and representatives, foreign diplomats in Washington, and the Peace Conference in Paris. The statement was also translated into French for dissemination in Paris and sent to major international news agencies and publications.
Senator Spencer submitted this statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and on September 19, 1919, it was officially recorded in the U.S. Congressional Record as evidence on the Korean issue. In the House of Representatives, Representative William E. Mason of Illinois used it as supporting material when introducing House Resolution No. 359, addressing the “Korean Question.”
In April 1920, Dolph published a book titled “Japanese Stewardship of Korea”, exposing Japan’s oppressive rule over Korea. On June 3, 1920, he sent copies of the book to the U.S. President and Secretary of State, requesting that it be used as a reference for Korean affairs.
On September 15, 1920, Dolph submitted a comprehensive report to Kim Kyu-sik, detailing propaganda and diplomatic efforts in the United States from the outbreak of the March 1st Movement to September 2, 1920.
On April 11, 1921, he sent a 44-page report on the Korean issue to U.S. Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes, urging American intervention in support of Korean independence.
Dolph was also appointed as the legal advisor for the Korean Commission at the Washington Naval Conference in 1921. He assisted the Korean delegation in drafting “Korea’s Appeal to the Conference on Limitation of Armament” and submitted it to Senator Spencer. He also played a leading role in drafting the supplementary appeal and ensured its distribution to representatives of the participating nations.
In July 1924, Dolph published an open letter titled “Open Letter to Koreans”, which was distributed to Koreans worldwide. In this letter, he urged unity and expressed his unwavering commitment to assisting the Korean cause.
He passed away on December 29, 1926.
The South Korean government awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation (Independence Medal) in 1950 in recognition of his contributions to the Korean independence movement.