From the Journal of M.S. Kapitsa, Record of Conversation with Counselor of the DPRK Embassy in Moscow Cde. Pak Deok-hwan

FROM THE JOURNAL

OF M. S. KAPITSA

[faded stamp:

Nº 8077gs

3 July 1958]

SECRET Copy Nº 1

3 July 1958

Nº 703/dv

RECORD OF A CONVERSATION

with Counselor of the DPRK Embassy in Moscow

Cde. PAK DEOK-HWAN

1 July 1958

I received Pak Deok-hwan and had a conversation with him.

1. I reminded Pak Deok-hwan that in a conversation with me on 17 December 1957 he had raised the question of organizing a timber industry trust on Soviet territory and an office to provision the Korean workers engaged in the logging. I reported that the competent Soviet bodies have studied this issue and come to a conclusion about the inadvisability of organizing a DPRK timber industry trust on Soviet territory and an official office for provisioning. However, there would be no objections from our side to the presence of DPRK economic officials together with the Korean workers engaged in logging at Komsomol'sk-na-Amure to provide the Korean workers with technical supplies. I added that such a group evidently already exists at Komsomol'sk-na-Amure.

Pak Deok-hwan took note of this information.

2. Pak Deok-hwan reported that Japanese Embassy Counselor Tsumura [sic] and his wife are trying to be closer to the Korean diplomats. In particular, they have repeatedly tried to engage Pak Deok-hwan in conversation. Pak Deok-hwan asked my opinion about these steps by Tsumura [sic].

I replied to Pak Deok-hwan that, in my opinion, conversations with Japanese diplomats ought not to be avoided [he] ought to try and find out what they want.

3. Touching on the housing conditions of DPRK Embassy officials Pak Deok-hwan said that the residence of Ambassador Ri Sin-pal is not very comfortable since it is located in a very old building with stove heating, and asked that assistance be given in improving the Ambassador's living conditions. He also noted that evidently the issue would soon arise about a building for a Korean Embassy. The current premises are far from the center and do not have the necessary conveniences.

I promised to inquire about this issue.

3^rd Secretary of the Far East Department Yu. I. Ognev was present at the conversation.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE USSR MFA

FAR EAST DEPARTMENT

[signature]

(M. KAPITSA)

6-YuO/osh

1 - Cde. Gromyko

2 - Cde. Kuznetsov

3 - Embassy

4 - General Secretariat

5 - Cde. Artem'yev

6 - to file

Nº 1333-dv

2 July 1958