President Syngman Rhee Conversing with U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles

The treaty was initialed on August 8, 1953, in Seoul by ROK Foreign Minister Byeon Yeong-Tae and U.S. Secretary of State John F. Dulles. It was formally signed on October 1, 1953, in Washington, D.C. and became legally binding on November 17, 1954, after the exchange of ratification documents.