Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 5 April 1960

USSR EMBASSY IN THE DPRK [faded USSR   TOP SECRET

MFA stamp:                     Copy Nº 3

Nº 70 0832s

2[0] April 1960 22 April 1960]

[Handwritten notations:

to [[illegible name] and

G. Ye. Samsonov]

JOURNAL

of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A. M. Puzanov for the period

25 March through 11 April 1960

Pyongyang

[…]

5 April 1960

I met with Kim Chang-man and presented him with the Protocols and stenographic record of the Conference of leaders of fraternal Communist and worker's Parties of the socialist countries of Europe about issues of the development of agriculture to be passed to Kim Il Sung.

Kim Chang-man expressed gratitude and said that these documents will b sent to Kim Il Sung (who is ill).

After this I had a conversation with Kim Chang-man. He noted that the KWP is doing great work at the present time in the area of agriculture, in particular, steps are being taken to improve methods of Party work in the countryside, the usage of land is being increased in every possible way, and more attention is being devoted to the correct payment and organization of labor.

Kim Chang-man said that the measures being pursued now should bring about decided changes in the area of agriculture. The work of all Party organization in the area of agriculture is being restructured now, even down to the work of district Party organizations. He himself recently spent a month in the countryside and says what great difficulties exist in the organizational consolidation of agricultural cooperatives. Now all Party officials recognize that cooperatives need to be given comprehensive assistance.

He noted that he had raised this issue because it was evident from press reports and his own observations how much deeper and more effective is work being done than previously, which should undoubtedly produce positive results. Just one measure adopted several years ago is unclear in its value, namely the government monopoly on the sale and purchase of grain.

I cited examples from the experience of the Soviet Union.

Kim Chang-man replied that the introduction of the government monopoly on the sale and purchase of grain had the purpose of eliminating speculation in the trading of grain on the market and protecting the interests of the peasants. He said, essentially this monopoly rather has the nature of free trade, that is, the existing system of purchases allows a peasant to freely sell excess grain at fixed prices after making mandatory deliveries to the state. To allow peasants to sell grain on the market means to place them under threat of [incurring] losses, since if the harvest is good, like for example in 1958, the market price for rice drops. Therefore we introduced fixed prices. Last year, as is well known, there were some difficulties in supplying the peasants with everything needed through state channels. However, on the whole the monopoly has justified itself. It is first of all necessary for the peasant to have more grain.

I told about the experience of supplying the populations of large cities in the USSR with cheap vegetables and potatoes introduced at the initiative of Cde. N. S. Khrushchev by creating in specialized state farms in the suburbs, and stressed the great importance which is attached to the reduction of prime cost in the process.

Kim Chang-man replied that great importance is also attached to the issue of the reduction of prime cost in the DPRK. He said that it is also planned to create agricultural cooperatives near Pyongyang which primarily engage in the production of vegetables.

In conclusion I expressed gratitude to Kim Chang-man for the opportunity granted to give a report to a Korean audience, "The results of Cde. N. S. Khrushchev's trip throughout the countries of Southeast Asia", and said that with the consent of the KWP CC Embassy officials could also read reported devoted to the 90^th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin. I then noted that we know about the great mass explanatory work being done among the population by KWP Party organizations in connection with the Lenin days. Our officials would also like to take some part in this great work.

Kim Chang-man expressed gratitude for the offer and said that everyone who wants will be afforded an opportunity to give reports.

Then I addressed a request to Kim Chang-man to help organize reports for officials of Soviet organizations in the DPRK which might be read by senior Korean comrades similar to the reports of Cdes. Ha Ang-cheon and Nam Il organized last year.

Kim Chang-man replied that he would give all possible assistance in the fulfillment of this request.

I thanked Kim Chang-man for the conversation.

The conversation was interpreted by Embassy interpreter D. A. Priyemsky.

[…]

USSR AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK

[signature]

(A. PUZANOV0

Five copies printed

1st - to Cde. A. A. Gromyko

2^nd - to Cde. Yu. V. Andropov

3^rd - to the USSR MFA DVO

4^th - to Cde. I. I. Tugarinov

5^th - to file

Nº 241 12 April 1960

Drafted by Puzanov

Typed. at.