From the Journal of M.V. Zimyanin, Record of Conversation with DPRK Ambassador in the USSR Cde. Ri Sin-pal

FROM THE JOURNAL       Secret Nº [1]

OF M. V. ZIMYANIN      22 April 1958

Nº 393/dv

RECORD OF A CONVERSATION

with DPRK Ambassador in the USSR Cde. RI SIN-PAL

19 April 1958

I received Ri Sin-pal at his request.

1. Ri Sin-pal passed a request from DPRK Minister of Foreign Affairs Nam Il about the DPRK joining the International Epizootic Office and asked that it be sent to the proper place.

I promised Ri Sin-pal to send a letter, or if is considered to be advisable for the letter to be sent directly by the DPRK, to inform him of this.

[Translator's note: there are handwritten comments in the left margin partially off the page: "…to us…sent to France [[the headquarters of the International Epizootic Office]]…forward…USSR…receive…completed… will be sent [as] intended"]

2. I asked Ri Sin-pal about news from the DPRK.

Ri Sin-pal told of the impressions from the KWP conference about the achievements of the DPRK in the field of the development of industry and agriculture, noting that the DPRK now already holds one of the first places in Asia in per capita production and by the end of the five-year plan it might surpass Japan in many types of industrial and agricultural production.

Ri Sin-pal said that at the present time the KWP and DPRK Government are devoting enormous attention to solving the problem of supplying the country's population with prime necessities, primarily food and housing. The measures of the Party and government find broad support from the population. A task has been set in the plan for 1958 to achieve a gross grain harvest of 3.5 million tons; however, as a result of peasants' discussion of the targets envisioned by the plan it turns out to be possible to get 3,950,000 tons of grain in 1958. If these commitments are fulfilled then the DPRK will not only meet its domestic needs in grain but will also be able to export a certain quantity of grain to other countries. At the present time work to cultivate rice seedlings is developing on a broad front. The DPRK government is devoting much attention to this work since the treatment [podgotovka] of high-quality rice seedlings is a guarantee of a high harvest. Ri Sin-pal said, according to the first five-year plan the housing problem will be completely solved. By that time the amount of housing in the DPRK will considerably exceed the prewar level.

Ri Sin-pal reported that in the near future an exhibit of consumer goods made in the USSR, [PRC], Czechoslovakia, GDR, Romania, and other countries of the socialist camp will be organized in Pyongyang so that Korean consumers can familiarize themselves with the successes of the development of light industry in fraternal countries and then demand that officials of DPRK light industry organize the production here of those goods which they like.

I informed Ri Sin-pal that a Soviet exhibit on the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes will be sent to Pyongyang in May of this year.

Ri Sin-pal expressed gratitude.

Third Secretary of the Far East Department Yu. [I]. Ognev and DPRK Embassy interpreter Kim Dyu Bon [sic] were present at the conversation.

CHIEF OF THE USSR MFA FAR EAST DEPARTMENT

[signature]

(M. Zimyanin)

4-YuO/kb

1 - Cde. Fedorenko

2 - General Secretariat

3 - the Soviet Embassy in the DPRK

4 - to file

22 April 1958

Nº 793

[handwritten note:

to file. 23 April 1958. Ognev]