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March 15, 1973

Record of Conversation between the Foreign Minister of North Korea and the First Secretary of the Mongolian People’s Republic

This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation

The Record of the conversation

between Foreign Minister of North Korea and the First Secretary of Mongolian People’s Republic at 15 March, 1973 [attached: Kim Il Sung’s oral message to Mongolian Government]

 

 

 

 

1973-3-15                   Ulaanbaatar

 

Reception of Heo Dam by cde. Yu. Tsedenbal

 

In connection with the visit to our country by representatives of the Korean government headed by the Deputy Premier of the DPRK Administrative Council, Foreign Minister Heo Dam, the First Secretary of the MPRP Central Committee, Chairman of the MPR Council of Ministers Yu. Tsedenbal received [the delegation] on March 15, 1973 from 15:45 until 17:30 in the government palace.

 

[list of participants in the conversation omitted]

 

The conversation was conducted in Mongolian and Korean, with Foreign Ministry attache P. Urjinlhundev and Ho En Yong translating.

 

 

To account for the conversation:

 

 

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Did you have a good trip?

 

 

Heo Dam: I am happy that today you, the First Secretary of the MPRP Central Committee, are finding the time to receive us despite being busy at work.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: As you are coming from a far-away place, you probably don’t have the time. You are trying to do many things at one time.

 

 

Heo Dam: We would like to express gratitude for having been received intimately from the first day of our arrival in Mongolia by the fraternal Mongolian comrades. We think this is an expression of the friendly sentiment of the Mongolian people towards our people.

 

First of all, I would like to pass greetings from the General Secretary of the Korean Workers’ Party, our eminent dear leader cde. Kim Il Sung to Chairman cde. Yu. Tsedenbal.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Thank you.

 

 

Heo Dam: When sending us to you, Chairman Kim Il Sung charged us with the duty to discuss strengthening and development friendship between the two countries.

 

Although our time in your country is short, we are happy to be acquainted with the successes of the Mongolian people in constructing socialism in a historically short time under the leadership of the MPRP. The Mongolian people love to labor.

 

Over the last fifty years, the Mongolian people have made great achievements in economic and cultural construction under the leadership of the Mongolian People’s Revolution Party. These Mongolian successes not only add to Mongolia’s strength but also to the strength of other countries of the socialist camp. We view these successes of the Mongolian people as our own successes. This inspires our people to construct socialism in our country and to struggle for the unification of the motherland by peaceful means.

 

We will be content if during the lucky opportunity afforded by our visit we shall have the opportunity to strengthen the friendship between Korean and Mongolian peoples.

 

With your, First Secretary of the MPRP Central Committee cde. Tsedenbal, permission, I would like to pass the message from our leader Chairman cde. Kim Il Sung.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: I will be happy to listen.

 

 

Heo Dam: Comrade Chairman, you have a lot of work. In order to save time, shall I not speak out the content of Chairman Kim Il Sung’s message in Korean, and provide you directly with a Mongolian translation?

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: OK [the Mongolian translation read out by interpreter Ho En Yong is attached ].

 

 

Heo Dam: Thank you for spending so much time to listen attentively. Chairman cde. Tsedenbal, if you have valuable views with regard to this message, I will be happy to pass them on to President Kim Il Sung.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: cde. Heo Dam, I would like to sincerely congratulate you and your delegates on behalf of the MPRP Central Committee, the MPR government and on my own behalf.

 

I believe that your visit is making an important contribution to the strengthening of the developing relations between our two countries based on principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.

 

I would like to express gratitude for clearly acquainting me with the message from comrade Kim Il Sung. I would like to express sincere gratitude to cde. Kim Il Sung for explaining in this message the situation of his country, especially the policy with regard to the unification of the motherland by peaceful means. I would like to ask you to pass on this gratitude to comrade Kim Il Sung.

 

 

Heo Dam: I will pass it.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: From cde. Kim Il Sung’s message I became more knowledgeable about the struggle of the Korean people for the unification of the motherland. However, cde. Heo Dam, I would like to clarify some questions with you.

 

We know that the work began on the meeting between the North and South Korean sides. They are meeting along the lines of the Red Cross societies. I understand that these are meetings along the lines of public organizations. On the other hand, a coordination committee is being organized. Are there people from the side of your government participating in this coordination committee? Who is heading it from the South side? I am only asking this because I don’t understand this well!

 

 

Heo Dam: The coordination committee consists of official representatives of the South and the North who are conducting negotiations. On our side, the coordination committee is headed by the Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee Politburo member, Central Committee secretary Kim En Joo.

 

On the South Korean side, [the committee] is headed by the head of the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency Lee Hu-rak.

 

Although at the moment under the banner of the South-North coordination committee, the two sides are conducting negotiations, these are not negotiations between governments. But because the people participating in this committee do so with government instructions, the negotiations take on the character of official government [negotiations]. When the two sides sign joint statements, they express the views of higher organizations.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: In other words, they express government policies?

 

 

Heo Dam: That is, they support the views of the party and the government.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: How many parties are there in South Korea? What party does Park Chung Hee’s government rely on?

 

 

Heo Dam: Their ruling party is the Democratic Republican Party. Other than that, there are also opposition parties. But all political parties were disbanded in October last year.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Did [Park Chung Hee] also disband [the party] that he relies on, the ruling party?

 

 

Heo Dam: In fact, although [he] said [he would] disband all parties, [he] left the ruling party. Also, since then, a new Democratic Unity party emerged. It became a big party.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Was it previously an opposition party?

 

 

Heo Dam: The opposition parties were disbanded. After that, the Democratic Unity party emerged.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Does the party [Park Chung Hee] mainly rely on that unity party?

 

 

Heo Dam: No. The main party [he] relies on is the Democratic Republican Party.  

 

 

Yu. Tsedenba: What classes does the party Park ChungHee mainly relies on consist of?

 

 

Heo Dam: It is a party that protects the interests of landowners, capitalists and reactionary officials. There is one party in South Korea that does not [operate] openly, which protects the interests of workers and peasants. It is called Revolutionary Unity Party. It has its own radio and newspaper.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Weren’t there communists left in the South during the division? Now, don’t these communists conduct their activities?

 

 

Heo Dam: There were, at the time of the division. There are, still. The core members of that Revolutionary Unity Party are communists, and they have made the Marxist-Leninist theory their guide.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: How strong is the working class in South Korea? To what extent did their number grow since before?

 

 

Heo Dam: Because industry is not developed in South Korea, the working class has not been able to grow in organizational terms. Because there are many small and medium enterprises, the working class is in a scattered condition.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal : To what extent did the industry develop in South Korea since the division? Whose capital is predominant there?

 

 

Heo Dam: There has been no development since the division. There is little national industry. There are industries that rely on American, Japanese and other foreign capital.  

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Are there private industries?

 

 

Heo Dam: There are many industries with monopolist capital.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: What branches of industry are there?

 

 

Heo Dam: There is processing industry. These are predominantly in the light industry sphere. They take raw materials from America and Japan, process it, and re-sell it abroad. The South Korean industry and economy rely on foreign capital, and are in the state of dependency upon it. Therefore our side has passed the proposal through the South-North coordination committee to jointly develop Southern and Northern industries relying on internal Southern and Northern (national) reserves.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: What goal does the Korean Workers’ Party have with regard to the meeting of the coordination committee, what result [does it want] to achieve? How many times have they met until now, with what results?

 

 

Heo Dam :The basic goal of the coordination committee is to discuss the question of unification of the motherland, and to hasten the work of unification. By means of meetings of the coordination committee, by meetings of the South and the North, [we] aim to hasten the establishment of relations. In the future, the aim is to gradually pursue economic relations between the South and the North, to reduce the military forces, then [to develop] cultural exchange, establish a national union system between the South and the North, and finally to unify the country by peaceful means.

 

After the publication of the joint statement of the South and the North, there were several meetings of the coordination committee. Yesterday, a meeting of the heads of the coordination committee began. This will continue for a few days.

 

Chairman Kim Il Sung mentioned in his message to you that the West’s puppets [South Korea] are violating the established agreement, place obstacles in the way of its implementation, and create difficulties for our struggle. Therefore Chairman Kim Il Sung wanted for your party, government and people to expose the hypocrisy of the attempts of these [puppets], put pressure on them in order to isolate them, and to assist in the acceptance of our proposals for the unification of the motherland.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: This committee will continue to meet, won’t it?

 

 

Heo Dam: In general, by its regulations it meets once every 3-4 months.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Comrade Heo Dam, thank you for explaining questions of interest to me. I was only asking because we don’t know much other than the fact that the coordination committee is meeting. It was very helpful for our understanding of the situation to meet with you and to clarify [these matters]. Therefore, it is evident that your visit has visit has been significant from this perspective.

 

 

Heo Dam: We, on our side, have provided information in the past, and we will do so in the future.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: The Park Chung Hee government, relying on the American military force, has tried to divide Korea. It is trying even now. Whereas the South Korean puppets had no connection with the DPRK, now they have no other way but to give a response to your government’s initiative, to meet and discuss some questions. However, we do not know whether the Park Chung Hee-ists have good intentions in doing this. Judging by the real situation, they were left with no other way but to go [and meet]. The real situation is that today the strength of the fraternal socialist countries is becoming greater from year to year. There are two camps in the world. The correlation of forces of these two camps is changing in favor of our camp. The main force of the socialist camp, the USSR, is attaining great successes in construction. Other socialist countries are attaining great successes in socialist construction, and achieving much in terms of economic and cultural development. The reliable pillar of the socialist camp, the Soviet nuclear weapons, become more and more developed each year. Among socialist countries, the people of the DPRK are achieving great successes under the leadership of the Korean Workers’ Party in the development of economy and culture. The Mongolian people are achieving great successes in socialist construction year after year.

 

The fact that our camp is becoming stronger year after year is being taken into account by the imperialists [in their assessment] of the real situation. For example, West Germany, taking this situation in account, concluded treaties with the USSR and Poland. West Germany had no other way but to accept post-WWII borders.

 

Now, even the head of world imperialism and the reactionary policeman USA has no other way but to conduct negotiations with our socialist camp. The head of world imperialism and the reactionary policeman Nixon came to the USSR to conduct negotiations. When the correlation of forces was different, they did not come. Because now the correlation of forces changed in favor of socialism, the head of imperialism Nixon had no other way but to come. And also to end the Vietnam War. This is a result of the determined struggle of the heroic Vietnamese people, of the support of the socialist countries, and of the solidarity of the world’s honest progressive forces with the people of Vietnam. The most powerful imperialist country, the US, having waged a war against the freedom-loving people of Vietnam for many years, in the end had no other way but to stop the fire of war and withdraw forces. The American servant Park Chung Hee, too, also had to withdraw forces from Vietnam.

 

Therefore, now the way [open to] the Park Chung Hee’s side is to accept the DPRK’s government initiative and to conduct negotiations.

 

But in accordance with what I said above, the Park Chung Hee-ists are not doing this with a good intention. Because the Park Chung Hee’s regime relies on the American military forces, it can remain for now. If the Americans did not support it with soldiers and weapons, the situation would have been different. Therefore, in order to destroy the Park Chung Hee regime and to allow the South Korean democratic forces to become victorious, it is first of all necessary to withdraw the American forces from South Korea.

 

Our party, government and the people have always struggled for the withdrawal of the American forces from South Korea, and in the future we will continue to struggle for the withdrawal of the American forces together with the fraternal people of South Korea, with socialist countries, and all progressive forces.

 

The presence of the American forces in South Korea is interference by the USA in Korean affairs. Therefore, we understand the goal of peaceful unification of the motherland with one’s own means, that had been put forward by your party, as directed first and foremost against the attempts of imperialist interference.

 

If the American forces are withdrawn from South Korea, class relationships in South Korea will become different. It is clear that the majority of the South Korean people will not support the Park Chung Hee regime. Therefore, once again, the only reason why the Park Chung Hee regime still exists is the American military force. Therefore, withdrawal of the American forces before all else is an honest demand. All honest forces will support its realization. We, too, have opposed the use of the UN flag in South Korea. We think that your party’s and government’s proposals aimed at the elimination of this cover are correct. In the future we will struggle for the elimination of this cover.

 

We have supported and will support the policy of your party and government aimed at the elimination of the UN Commission, organized under the pressure of the American imperialists. In this connection we have supported and will support raising DPRK government’s proposals aimed at peaceful unification of the Korean people before the UN.  

 

In this connection we can consult with your government and fraternal comrades as to what concrete proposals, which would serve the interests of peaceful unification of Korea, could be put to the UN session next fall, [and we can] support these proposals. On this question, whether at the UN level, or at the level of other international organizations, we have supported and will continue to support you.

 

Also, if the question of the DPRK’s accession to the UN is raised we will support [you]. But if America will raise the question of South Korea’s accession, we will oppose it.

 

By the way, has the question of your accession to the UN been raised?

 

 

Heo Dam : We will oppose the accession of two Koreas to the UN.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal:Are you saying your side will oppose simultaneous accession to the UN of two Koreas?

 

If we oppose accession of two Koreas, it will not mean in the future that we are opposing North Korea[s accession]?

 

 

Heo Dam: No. Now the question of simultaneous accession to the UN by East and West Germany is being raised. In general, now the question of divided countries’ accession has come out. In this connection we have to clarify our own position.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal :Are you raising the question of your accession to the UN?

 

 

Heo Dam: We have not raised this question. For one thing, we will raise the question of accession to the UN after unification. Or we have in mind to propose accession as one state after the establishment of a unified system between the two Koreas. If the two Koreas access simultaneously, it will perpetuate the division.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: If the American side introduces the question of simultaneous accession of the two Koreas, the MPR must struggle against the accession of South Korea, and must speak out in favor of giving full UN rights to the DPRK. But if the American side does not raise the question of the DPRK’s accession to the UN, what will you be saying? In this case, we need to consult with you on this question.

 

 

Heo Dam: We have not raised the question of the DPRK accession as a member and we will also oppose South Korea’s accession as a member.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: I am just thinking if the question of the two Koreas’ accession to the UN is raised, and we will oppose the accession of both, won’t it mean that we oppose your accession, and won’t we end up in an uncomfortable situation?

 

 

Heo Dam: It is necessary to connect the question of Korea’s accession to the UN with the question of Korea’s unification. At the moment we are not putting the question of accession to the UN at the forefront, but we are putting at the forefront the question of the unification of the motherland. But we will raise the question of accession to the UN after unification.

 

Therefore, to oppose the simultaneous accession of the two Koreas to the UN is to support our position of hastening the unification of the country and accession to the UN after Korea’s unification.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Has South Korea put forward the proposal of accession to the UN?

 

 

Heo Dam: South Korea has not raised the question of accession to the UN. If they do, we will oppose it.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: South Korea may well raise the question of accession to the UN. We are thinking whether, as a precondition to this, the question of two Koreas’ simultaneous access may be raised [trans note: it is not clear from the original who could be raising this precondition].

 

 

Heo Dam: No. Alongside increasing work to isolate the South Korean puppets, we do not want for you to establish any kind of relations with South Korea.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Our state has no relations with South Korea. But it would be good if you could give us some material exposing their policy. In reality, we don’t really know the condition of South Korea.

 

 

Heo Dam – We are giving material.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: We are supporting simultaneous accession to the UN of West Germany and the GDR.

 

 

Heo Dam: We also support this. Under the current conditions, this accords to the interests of the GDR people. The conditions of Korea and Germany are different.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: Yes, we understand.

 

Heo Dam: The two Germanys want respective international recognition [of the two]. We want recognition of the Korean unity.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: cde. Heo Dam, I would like to express gratitude for acquainting us wth cde. Kim Il Sung’s message and for clearly answering our questions.

 

Our Foreign Minister L. Rinchin will clearly explain to you the circumstances of our state and [our] foreign policy.

 

I talked about my own ideas with resect to questions put forward by cde. Kim Il Sung. If there are additional issues, we can pass them through the Embassy.

 

 

Heo Dam: Thank you.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: I wish you a good visit in our country.

 

 

Heo Dam: Thank you. Comrade Chairman, I would like to express gratitude for finding the time to receive us.

 

 

We are happy that you attentively listened to cde. Kim Il Sung’s message and in your response you supported our honest struggle. The support of the Mongolian people, of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party and the MPR government is truly valuable to us. I will pass all of what you said to Chairman Kim Il Sung.

 

Yu. Tsedenbal: The MPRP and the people [of Mongolia] are connected by ties of fraternity with the DPRK people and the Korean Workers’ Party. Our two parties are guided by Marxism-Leninism. Your working people and our working people are class brothers. Therefore, our party and government policy is the policy of support for class brothers. We oppose the policy of American imperialism to create and perpetuate the division of Korea, and the regime of Park Chung Hee, which had become America’s right hand [gar hul].

 

We hope the DPRK people achieve new successes in the construction of socialism in their motherland under the leadership of the party and the government. We wish success in the sacred task of unifying the motherland by peaceful means.

 

I request that you pass cde. Kim Il Sung and other leading comrades my sincere congratulations and wishes of good health and success in work.

 

 

Heo Dam: I will pass [your wishes]. Using this occasion I would like to wish the Mongolian people even greater successes under the leadership of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party.

 

Especially, I sincerely wish you to realize the decisions of the 16th MPRP congress and the Five Year Plan of developing state economy and culture.

 

 

Yu. Tsedenbal – Thank you.

 

 

 

Acquainted /Yu. Tsedenbal/

Noted by /B. Vanchindorj/ /J. Gendendaram/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attached

 

Oral Message from Kim Il Sung

 

 

 

 

Respected comrade Tsedenbal,

 

In the last 1-2 years there has been considerable change in the international situation and in our country’s condition.

 

In this connection, with the aim of unifying the motherland, we became a peace offensive in 1971.

 

Comrade Tsedenbal, as you know, the South Korean rulers have opposed our proposals to unify the motherland by peaceful means.

 

Seeing that the US, having ended up in a difficult situation externally and internally, dumped Chiang Kaishek, the South Korean rulers, being careful not to ever end up in the same situation themselves, alongside the intensification of the support of the South Korean people and people of the world for our policy of peaceful unification, participated in the meeting of the North and the South.

 

Therefore, there were two meetings – the meeting of the South and North Korean Red Cross societies in September 1971, and the high-level South-North meeting of last year; after the publication of the joint South-North statement based on the three principles of national unity concerning peaceful unification of the country by one’s own means, the North and the South organized a coordination committee, which has met twice.

 

We have informed you comrades on this account at the time.

 

By means of the peace offensive we attained, even if a little, success.

 

Thus we let the South Korean people and the people of the world understand clearly that the enemy of the Korean unity is not us but the South Korean rulers, and that it is not us but the South Korean puppets who are aggrevating the troublesome situation in Korea. Wide masses of the world have come to know who desires unity, and who opposes it; who desires peace and who is seeking a war.

 

Our other success is the fact that the American imperialists lost rationale for remaining in South Korea.

 

In addition, another great success of ours is that the democratic force in South Korea has strengthened and the aspiration of the South Korean people to unite the motherland became more intense than ever.

 

We started to visit South Korea. This also encourages the South Korean people and influences them. There are many people in South Korea who support us.

 

With the opening of the door between South and North Korea, which had been closed [to each other], with people coming and going, the influence of the revolution among the South Korean people has begun to increase.

 

Under these circumstances, the South Korean puppet regime claims to [be trying to] unite the motherland by peaceful means, but in fact it is conducting activities directed against the unification of Korea.

 

Even as the South Korean rulers have agreed to use our own means to peacefully unify the motherland, they talk nonsense to the effect that the aggressive American forces stationed in South Korea are not foreign forces, and that UN forces are not foreign forces, and blather that the American forces need to be in South Korea, and that in order to “have advantage in conflict,” it is necessary to “augment forces.”

 

Park Chung Hee, on a visit to military units, made it known that the South-North meeting is a kind of a “conflict” with the communists, therefore it is necessary to “augment forces” while one “must not hurry” in the establishment of South-North links.  

 

People would like the South Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong Pil to go to the US and say that it is impossible to unite Korea before 1980.

 

South Korean rulers, even as they agreed to implement the great national unity in accordance with the South-North joint statement, are oppressing the South Korean people who have demanded to put an end to cursing the DPRK. Even recently Park Chung Hee, having organized a “committee for the unification of the motherland with one’s own means,” having called for “parliamentary elections,” he arrested and put in jail leaders of the opposition parties.

 

This is an attempt not to allow opposition forces into an organization that protects his own fascist rights. The Park Chung Hee regime opposes proposals put forward by our side to develop joint activities between the South and the North.

 

You, comrades, know well about our proposals to the South Korea side to develop links and cooperation in the economic, scientific, artistic, athletic and other spheres. But the Park Chung Hee regime, while in words supporting our proposals, in reality did not accept them.

 

Particularly, we put forward a proposal not to see each other as enemy and in this connection to reduce the military industry and to correspondingly cut down the number of troops. However, South Korean rulers, using the excuse that “the time has not come yet”, not only refused to accept the above proposal but are taking weapons and technology from the US and increasing military spending.

 

When we first put forward proposals for cooperation between South and North Korea, it was not that we hoped that Park Chung Hee would accept it. We put forward this question, directing it to the South Korean people. In other words, we put this proposal forward in order to make the South Korean people understand that the Park Chung Hee regime has completely sold itself, in order to strengthen the democratic forces of South Korea, and to get the South Korean people to overthrow the fascist rule [of the Park Chung Hee regime].

 

Cooperation and unification of the motherland will be possible once the democratic forces take power in South Korea in place of the puppet government of Park Chung Hee. In case Park Chung Hee accepts his earlier mistakes and promises not to become the right hand [gar hul] of the American and Japanese reactionaries, it is even possible to organize a union system with him.

 

The Park Chung Hee clique is afraid that the correlation of forces will become 2:1. In other words, if the South Korean opposition parties and the democratic forces unite and become one side, and the Park Chung Hee clique is the other side, and if the opposition parties and the democratic forces unite with us, the correlation of forces will become 2:1 and [this] will isolate Park Chung Hee.

 

In particular, fearing this, South Korean rulers have declared an “emergency,” dismissed the parliament and schools, even went as far as making changes to the “constitution,” and, fanatically trying to strengthen their own fascist rule, are “modernizing” the puppet military.

 

Ever since the “wind of freedom” first blew to North Korea, the South Korean rulers have tried to divide Korea. Although they have made different attempts, the people rally around the party, [so that the South Korean rulers,] understanding that the socialist society is strong, have come to accept that there is no force that can sabotage it.

 

The South Korean representatives and journalists who came to Pyongyang last year to participate in the talks of the South and North Red Cross Societies and the coordination committee were Park Chung Hee’s most trusted sell-outs. Even so, some of them cried when they watched our movie, and admired our development.

 

It is difficult for the South Korean rulers to continue the South–North meetings. Because if they refuse to meet, they will cause anger on the part of the South Korean people and the people of the world. They don’t know what to do, run around panicked, and, to win time and “preserve strength,” are giving the pretense of participating in the bilateral meetings.

 

To this end, they are intending to use the reactionary forces of America and Japan.

 

The American imperialists are guided by the intention to turn South Korea into their colony and military base; since the publication of the joint South North statement, they not only continue to maintain aggressive forces in South Korea, obstructing Korean unity, but they are intensifying activities to “modernize” the South Korean army with various military technologies.

 

Also, the Japanese militarists are intensifying their efforts to invade South Korea again, supporting the Park Chung Hee puppet regime and trying to perpetuate the division of Korea. These all are the main obstacles for the peaceful unification of Korea with one’s own means.

 

In general, this is the current situation of our country. In other words, although with the beginning of the political meetings between the North and the South, the situation of our country has become okay [ayataikhan], as a consequence of the obstructing policy of the American imperialists and the treacherous activities of the South Korean rulers, there remain, as before, many obstacles to the Korean unification.

 

In the current situation, in order to peacefully unify the motherland by one’s own means, first and foremost it is important to put pressure on the South Korean puppet regime to bring it down.

 

To achieve this, it is necessary to open the door to high level discussions between the North and the South, to establish even more links with [different] South Korean people, to impart revolutionary influence on them, thereby to pull the South Korean people with the progressive views to our side, and to take the South Korean democracy one step up.

 

On the other hand, it is important for our supporters on the international stage to support us as strongly as before, to put pressure on the South Korean rulers and to make them like orphans. In this matter, we think, our class brothers, the socialist countries, must have the greatest role to play.  

 

Our peaceful offensive and the South–North meetings described above are in reality one part of a sharp class struggle, and a part of the struggle between socialism and communism [sic], patriots and sell-outs, democracy and fascism, international working class and united capitalist force.

 

The enemies are trying to make Korean a capitalist peninsula, and we are aiming to make it a communist peninsula.

 

If one is unable to make Korea a communist peninsula, there will be a great threat to peace and the enterprise of socialism.

 

Therefore, we think that the question of peaceful unification of Korea is not only currently connected to the tasks of the international working class, but is a vitally important question, connected to the basic interests of all socialist countries.

 

Another important question of the peaceful unification of Korea by one’s own means is to put an end to the American imperialists’ aggressive policy under the cover of the UN flag, to remove American aggressive forces from South Korea and to dismiss the so called UN commission for the reunification of Korea.

 

The so called “resolution” of the American imperialists regarding Korea, which was illegally passed at the UN has become an obstacle to peaceful unification of Korea by its own means. In order to remove this obstacle, we need active support and help of the international revolutionary forces.

 

If, now, when the American imperialists are facing difficulties externally and internally, our friends widen the international struggle to isolate Park Chung Hee’s regime, put strong pressure on the American imperialists, and give us good support, this will be great help in our effort to unify the motherland.

 

The Mongolian party and government have in many ways supported, at the UN as well as on the international stage, the struggle of our people to peacefully unify the motherland, against the obstruction of the American imperialists and the aggressive activities of the puppet regime.

 

We are extremely happy with this and believe that you, comrades, will give us all-sided support in seeing the question of the Korean unification as your own affair.

 

In this connection, we desire support by the Mongolian party and the government on some questions, including:

 

  1. To conduct activities in order to make sure that this year’s UN session discuses and even takes positive steps regarding questions connected to Korea.  

 

The US and the South Korean rulers are using different pretexts to avoid the discussion of the Korean question at the UN session. We think that we must take steps to oppose their activities, to discuss questions related to Korea at this year’s UN session, to dismiss the so called UN commission for the unification and reconstruction of Korea, and to throw out the aggressive American military “UN armed forces” that occupy South Korea.

 

In particular, we wish for your government to conduct many-sided activities to influence other countries to realize these conditions.

 

  1. Until the South Korean rulers implement the articles of the North-South joint statement, and participate in the task of the peaceful unification of Korea by themselves without any pressure and pretexts, we wish for you to provide active support to put pressure on, and to isolate them.

 

The Park Chung Hee regime, fearing international isolation, is attempting to conducting false propaganda about their own so called “peaceful unification,” which is not only spread in many countries on the Asian and African continent but even in socialist countries.

 

Because socialist countries don’t care for them, they are trying to use the opportunities afforded by trade through third countries, sports meetings, and various competitions, to infiltrate into the socialist countries and develop political relations.

 

We wish that fraternal socialist countries never establish any kinds of links with our enemy, and never allow them into socialist countries.

 

The question of socialist countries not giving consideration to the South Korean puppet regime, and exposing their reactionary aggressive activities is the basic condition for insuring the victory of socialism, and for peace on the Korean peninsula.

 

We need a lot of help from your party in this matter.

 

  1. We wish to have active help of your government in eliminating the activities of the US and Japanese reactionary forces to create “two Koreas.”

 

In some places, people talk about raising the question of simultaneous admission to the UN of South and North Korea. If South and North Korea simultaneously joined the UN, not only will this not be of any help to the unification of Korea but it will be a legal pretext for the perpetuation of the Korean division.

 

In reality, if Korea becomes two states and divides, South Korea will become a dangerous aggressive base of the US and Japanese reactionaries.

 

We wish that in case the question is raised about joint admission of the two Koreas to the UN, your government will actively conduct activities against this, in support of our position, against the activities of the US and Japanese reactionaries for the creation of “two Koreas,” for the unification of Korea under the socialist flag.

 

  1. We wish that you actively conduct activities to influence other countries who do not understand our country’s situation and [our] correct policy with respect to the unification of the motherland, and make them support our position.

 

  1. We wish that you support our party’s policies with respect to the unification of the motherland in international meetings, forums and in foreign policy activities, as well as in official documents and in the media.

 

Relations of fraternal friendship and cooperation between the Korean and Mongolian peoples are based on principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism, and we are satisfied that these relations are developing well.

 

We always respect friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries. We think that there are plenty of opportunities to do even more things in this area.

 

We think that it is important to increase the exchange of different delegations and to strengthen links in politics, economics, culture and other fields.

The Foreign Minister of North Korea conveys Kim Il Sung's message to the Mongolian government and continues to explain North Korea's perspective of the Park Chung Hee regime in South Korea. Seeking Mongolian support for the DPRK's unification perspective, he adamantly opposes Mongolian endorsement of the ascension of two Koreas to the United Nations.


Document Information

Source

Mongolian Foreign Ministry Archive, fond 3, dans 1, kh/n 130, khuu 47-73. Obtained by Onon Perenlei. Translated for NKIDP by Onon Perenlei and Sergey Radchenko.

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Original Uploaded Date

2012-09-14

Type

Memorandum of Conversation

Language

Record ID

115284

Donors

Leon Levy Foundation