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April 29, 1957

Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 29 April 1957

This document was made possible with support from ROK Ministry of Unification

SOVIET EMBASSY IN THE DPRK TOP SECRET

Nº 106 Copy Nº 1

 

[faded USSR MFA Stamp:

…5824gs

3 June 1957]

 

[USSR MFA Stamp:

Far East Department

Secret

Incoming Nº 01440s

4-5 June 1957]

 

The Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A. M. PUZANOV

for the period 29 April through 4 May 1957

 

 

Pyongyang

 

29 April 1957

 

I received the DPRK Ambassador in the GDR Pak Gil-Ryong (at his request), who told me about a conference of ambassadors held in the MFA, directing my attention to the following issues.

 

Concerning Ri Sang-jo. In Nam Il's report, great attention was paid to former DPRK Ambassador to the USSR Ri Sang-jo. He described him as a factionalist who was among those of the anti-Party group which spoke at the August KWP CC plenum. In Nam Il's estimation, the Korean Embassy in the USSR worked badly. Ri Sang-jo incorrectly informed CPSU CC officials about the state of affairs in the KWP and tried to create misunderstandings between and set the CPSU CC against the KWP CC leadership. The Party organization of the Korean Embassy in the USSR has expelled Ri Sang-jo from KWP membership, and we should support this decision. According to the report of Pak Gil-Ryong, the Deputy Chairman of the KWP CC who spoke at the conference called Ri Sang-jo a traitor. In response to my question as to what sort of fuller description of Ri Sang-jo was given at the time, Pak Gil-Ryong replied that the word "traitor" was evidently said accidentally.

 

Concerning the peaceful unification of South and North Korea. An MFA official who gave a supplementary report about this issue devoted much attention to the fact that among some South Koreans and Koreans living abroad there are sentiments to make Korea neutral. At this point the speaker examined the positive and negative aspects if Korea is made neutral. The speaker did not express a frank opinion about making Korea neutral but nevertheless, in Pak Gil-Ryong's words, the participants of the conference formed the impression that his sympathies lay on the side of a neutral Korea. The five or six ambassadors who spoke in the discussions vigorously opposed the neutralization of Korea. In conclusion Nam Il said that there is no question of the neutralization of Korea at the present time, however he did not give a decisive and direct rebuff to the question of the neutralization of Korea.

 

Concerning ties between the DPRK and other countries. In Nam Il's report much attention was devoted to the establishment of business and diplomatic ties with other countries (India, Indonesia, Burma, Japan, etc.). At the present time a trade delegation has gone to Indonesia and a delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign and Domestic Trade is planning to go to India. In Pak Gil-Ryong's words, there were too many optimistic assumptions in the report about them being able to establish trade and other ties in the near future.

 

Concerning the reasons for the recall of the DPRK Ambassador in the Romanian People's Republic. According to Pak Gil-Ryong's report the DPRK ambassador in the RNR was recalled in connection with the following circumstances.

 

Last year after the 20th CPSU Congress the issue was discussed in the Korean Embassy in the RNR of whether a portrait of Kim Il Sung ought to be put up; in addition, during a showing a Korean film one part was not shown where Kim Il Sung was filmed several times. This issue was examined in a Party procedure by an oversight [kontrol'naya] commission.

 

Concerning a speech by the DPRK Ambassador in the USSR. In his speech Ambassador Ri Sang-jo said that recently Party-government delegations from Poland, China, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Albania had been in the Soviet Union. Delegations from Mongolia and Vietnam are expected. The question ought to be thought over of sending a DPRK Party-government delegation to the USSR and also of sending a group of CPSU Party officials to the DPRK for familiarization with the Party work in the KWP.

 

In reply to my question whether Nam Il had made clear that a DPRK government delegation headed by Kim Il Sung had visited the Soviet Union in July 1956 at the invitation of the Soviet government Pak Gil-Ryong replied that Nam Il had not touched on this issue at all in his conclusion.

 

[…]

The DPRK Ambassador to the GDR tell Puzanov about a conference of DPRK ambassadors. He directs Puzanov's attention to the following issues: the disgrace of the former DPRK Ambassador to the USSR Ri Sang-jo, the possibility of a neutral Korea, DPRK foreign trade relations, the recall of the DPRK Ambassador from Romania, and party-government delegations from various communist countries.

Author(s):


Document Information

Source

AVPRF F. 0102, Op. 13, P. 72, Delo 5, Listy 36-43. Translated for NKIDP by Gary Goldberg.

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Original Uploaded Date

2012-10-26

Type

Diary Entry

Language

Record ID

115607

Donors

ROK Ministry of Unification and Leon Levy Foundation