Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 19 October 1957

…19 October 1957

I invited Nam Il to my place for dinner.

Nam Il told about the work of the KWP CC Plenum which had just concluded. At the opening of the Plenum Kim Il Sung submitted a proposal not to allow CC members Choe Chang-ik and Pak Chang-ok, as leaders of the anti-Party group before the August 1956 CC Plenum, to participate in Plenum meetings. The Plenum approved the proposal of the CC Presidium and charged [it] with examining their anti-Party activity.

According to Nam Il's report CC member Ko Bong-gi, being held under house arrest, former Minister of Communications Kim Chang-heup and former Deputy Minister of Procurement and Food Pak Hyo-sam, members of the auditing commission, who had been removed from work for participation in factional activity were also offered [the opportunity] to participate in the work of the CC Plenum. Ko Bong-gi and Pak Hyo-sam declined, but Kim Chang-heup was at the Plenum.

According to Nam Il's information the Plenum proceeded actively. There were many critical remarks and practical suggestions in the three organized sections (for industrial construction, for urban and housing construction, and for agricultural construction).

Pak Ui-won gave a speech at the Plenum. In Nam Il's opinion, the introduction and conclusion of the speech were very good and were well received by the Plenum, but in the middle of his speech Pak Ui-won made various digressions and this was met with less interest. Nam Il did not clarify what the "digressions" were. The Plenum decided to convene a Party conference in January-February 1958 to discuss the target figures of the first DPRK five-year plan. The Plenum charged the CC Presidium with setting a date and the rules of representation at the Party conference.

The Plenum examined the decision of the Party organization of the DPRK Embassy in Moscow to expel KWP CC candidate member Ri Sang-jo from Party membership. Chairman of the Party Control Committee Kim Ik-seon spoke about this issue at the Plenum. Excerpts from Ri Sang-jo's letter were read at the Plenum. In Nam Il's words, the idea shines through that he, Ri Sang-jo, can come to the DPRK only when a coup occurs. Nam Il was silent about the content of the letter. Kim Il Sung made a concluding speech at the Plenum.

Counsellors V. I. Pelishenko and M. Ye. Kryukov were present at the dinner.