Wilson Center Digital Archive

The Two Koreas and the Vietnam War

This collection of primary source documents traces how both North Korea and South Korea responded to, participated in, and were influenced by the Vietnam War.

August 01, 1957

Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 1 August 1957

Kim Il Sung and Puzanov discuss aid to North Vietnam and the merger of several DPRK ministries.
August 07, 1957

Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 7 August 1957

Puzanov and a KWP CC official discuss aid to Vietnam, the DPRK's efforts to overfulfill the targets of the economic plan, North Korea's nonferrous metal industry, and the DPRK's enhanced technical capabilities.
May 22, 1965

Report, Embassy of Hungary in North Korea to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry

Romanian diplomat discuss with a Hungarian official the state of the North Korean economy in 1965.
July 17, 1965

Minutes of Conversation between Deng Xiaoping and Head of the Korean Delegation Kim Gwang-hyeop

Kim Gwang-hyeop, Deng Xiaoping, and Kang Shen discuss matters related to the Communist Parties of Eastern Europe, Japan, and Vietnam.
August 20, 1965

Record of Conversation between Premier Kim and the Chinese Friendship Delegation

Kim Il Sung and the Chinese Friendship Delegation discuss agriculture issues in China and North Korea, the war in Vietnam, and confrontation with the United States.
September 25, 1965

Cable from the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, 'On the Transporting of North Korea's Construction Material Aid for Vietnam'

China and North Korea arrange for North Korean aid to be shipped to North Vietnam through China.
September 26, 1965

Cable from the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, 'Supplement to the Cable of 25 September 1965'

North Korea and China negotiate who will pay for the cost of shipping material aid to North Vietnam.
September 30, 1965

Cable from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Economic and Trade Committee, 'We Agree to Transport North Korea's Material Aid for Vietnam'

The Chinese government agrees to assist North Korea in shipping material aid to North Vietnam.
October 12, 1965

Cable from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, 'On the Transportation of North Korea's Material Aid for Vietnam'

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs follows up on the work of China, North Vietnam, and North Korea to ship material aid from Korea to Vietnam.
October 23, 1965

Cable from the Chinese Foreign Ministry to the Embassy in North Korea, 'On the Issue of Transporting Korean Aid to Vietnam'

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides instructions to the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang on the shipment of North Korean aid to Vietnam.
November 02, 1965

Cable from the Chinese Embassy in North Korea to the Foreign Ministry, 'On the Transportation of North Korea's Material Aid for Vietnam'

The Chinese Embassy in North Korea reports on the transportation of North Korea's material aid to Vietnam through China.
November 06, 1965

Cable from the Foreign Ministry to the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, 'Notify Korea on the Border Crossing Issue of Supplies for Aiding Vietnam'

The Chinese Foreign Ministry passes along information about how North Korea can transport its aid to Vietnam.
February 03, 1966

Letter to Wladyslaw Gomulka from Kim Il Sung

A letter to Wladislaw Gomulka from Kim Il Sung containing his suggestions on providing assistance to the Vietnamese people and strengthening relations within the socialist bloc.
May 27, 1966

Excerpts from Leonid Brezhnev's May 1966 Speech on Talks with Kim Il Sung

Excerpts from Leonid Brezhnev's speech at the CC CPSU Plenum on the morning of May 27, 1966, in which he discusses his visit to North Korea and meetings with Kim Il-Sung, as well as Soviet and North Korea relations with North Vietnam, China, and Japan.
September 21, 1966

General Vo Nguyen Giap’s Decision On North Korea’s Request to Send a Number of Pilots to Fight in Vietnam

An excerpt from an official People’s Army of Vietnam historical publication describing a North Korean request to send an Air Force regiment to help defend North Vietnam against U.S. air attacks. The request was approved.
September 30, 1966

Signing of a Protocol Agreement for North Korea to Send a Number of Pilots to Fight the American Imperialists during the War of Destruction against North Vietnam

Agreement for the dispatch of a North Korean Air Force contingent to fight in North Vietnam. The agreement stipulates that the North Koreans would provide pilots for one North Korean Air Force regiment consisting of two companies (ten aircraft each) of MiG-17s and one company of MiG-21s, while Vietnam would provide the aircraft and all necessary technical equipment, maintenance, and logistics support for the North Korean flyers.
December 02, 1966

First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy in North Korean Reports on Sino-Korean Relations in 1966

A. Borunkov evaluates Sino-North Korean relations in 1966, focusing on the divergences between China and North Korea over the Vietnam War, interpretations of Marxism-Leninism, and the Cultural Revolution.
December 12, 1966

Letter from GDR Embassy in the DPRK to State Secretary Hegen

Horst Brie reports on war preparations inside of North Korea.
January 20, 1967

Record of Conversation between N.V. Podgorny and Ambassador of the DPRK in the USSR Kim Chunbong

Record of Conversation between N.V. Podgorny and Ambassador of the DPRK in the USSR Kim Chunbong in which the two discuss the state of Soviet-North Korean relations, the Vietnam War, the situation in the Demilitarized Zone, and North Korea's relations with China.
March 15, 1967

Telegram from Pyongyang to Bucharest, No.76.093, TOP SECRET, March 15, 1967

Ionescu Teofil and Huang Mîoi discuss a forthcoming ‘great revolutionary event’ in North Korea.