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September 1, 1956

Memorandum of Conversation with Premier Kim Il Sung

From the diary of
The Ambassador of the USSR in the DPRK
Comrade Ivanov V.I.
29 August – 14 September

…At the plenum, following [Kim's] address, the issue of Yoon Gong-heum [Yun Kong Hum] arose, who, in his speech made accusations that the Workers Party rejected the decree of the Twentieth Party Congress, did not follow the principles of Marxism-Leninism, painting the matter in such a manner that inside the KWP very serious consequences of the personality cult were being preserved. He rejected the general line of the party.

According to Kim, the participants of the plenum were outraged by the antagonistic manner of Yun's speech at the plenum and demanded that he be prevented from speaking. Choe Chang-ik [Choe Chang Ik] supported Yun. Others who spoke revealed the anti-party character of Yun's speech at the plenum and cited facts of his anti-party activities leading up to the plenum.

Alongside Yun, undercover anti-party activities were carried out by Seo Hwi [So Hwi], Li Pil-gyu [Li Pil Kyu] and the deputy minister of culture, Kim Chang-il [Kim Chang Il], who, according to Kim, fled the plenum and crossed the border. They were held at the present moment by Chinese border guards and are located in Andun.

For their anti-Party activities Seo Hwi, Li Pil-gyu and Kim Chang-il were expelled from the party. Choe Chang-ik was removed from the Presidium of the CC. Pak Chang-ok [Pak Chang Ok] was removed from the post of Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and removed from the ranks of the CC. The issue had been referred to a Party Commission of the CC. At that, Kim explained that the party leadership would not have intentionally applied such measures in relation to Choe Chang-ik and Pak Chang-ok. However, the participants of the Plenum, after learning about their anti-Party activities, demanded taking them in relation to those functionaries as an organized conclusion...

Yoon Gong-heum and others at the August Plenum speak out against the cult of personality in the KWP and reject the party line. They are expelled from the party, and those who fled are held at the Chinese border.



Document Information

Source

RGANI, Fond 5, Opis 28, Delo 410, List 319. Obtained and translated for NKIDP by James F. Person.

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Original Uploaded Date

2011-11-20

Type

Memorandum of Conversation

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Record ID

113372