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January 20, 1956

Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK V. I. Ivanov for 20 January 1956

[CPSU CC stamp:

07504

22 February 1956

subject to return

  to the CPSU CC

  General Department]

 

TOP SECRET Copy Nº only

22 February 1956

Nº 0286/dv

 

to the CPSU CC [International] DEPARTMENT

to Cde. I. S. SHCHERBAKOV

 

We are sending you the journal of Cde. V. I. Ivanov, Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK for the period from 20 through 30 January 1956.

 

Attachment: the aforementioned on nine pages (incoming Nº 0610s of 20 February, copy Nº 3)

 

DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE USSR MFA FAR EAST DEPARTMENT [signature]

(S. SUZDALEV)

 

1 - AS/yus

1 - address[ee]

Nº 426-dv

22 February 1956

[handwritten:

to the archives

informative material

I. Shcherbakov

29 March 1956

[signature]

31 March [illegible signature]

 

 

[handwritten: Top Secret

USSR MFA Far

East Department stamp:

incoming Nº 0610s of 2[[0]] February]

 

SOVIET EMBASSY IN THE DPRK

 

JOURNAL

of V. I. Ivanov, Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK for the period from 20 to 30 January 1956

 

Pyongyang

 

07504

 

20 January

 

I visited Kim Il Sung and delivered a memo to him in accordance with your Instruction Nº 35.

 

In conversation Kim Il Sung said that Korean scientists have long raised the question to us of getting an opportunity to work in the field of nuclear research, to which we told them that when the opportunity and need arise such conditions will be created, and the USSR will not forget us in this.

 

Kim expressed gratitude for the material passed [him] and said that they will discuss it and report the results separately.

 

Then Kim asked for advice with respect to ways to reduce the labor force in construction. He said at on 25 January a republic conference of construction workers will open at which he intends to speak. One hundred and sixty thousand people are engaged in the construction field, everything is done manually, the work is wasteful, he said, while this amount of construction can be done with 50% of the workers. This would allow us to free up a large amount of the work force and send it to new mills and plants, and to agriculture. By [doing] this we will also save a considerable amount of rice rations.

 

I promised to discuss the issue with specialists and meet with him additionally.

 

Nam Il was present at the conversation.

 

xxx

 

I received Chinese Ambassador Pang Zili. The latter provided information about the position of the Chinese government with respect to the reorganization of the Neutral Commission proposed by Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Unden, and said that the Korean friends share this position.

 

I replied that also the Soviet government also completely supports the position of the Chinese and Korean representatives on this issue.

 

Then Pang Zili passed an invitation to officials of the Soviet Embassy, and the GUEhS and Trade Missions from the command of the headquarters of the People's Volunteers to visit the headquarters and military subunits with the purpose of acquainting themselves with the lives of the soldiers and officers of the Chinese Army.

 

I expressed gratitude for the invitation and said that the timeframe of the visit and the composition of the participants would be reported later.

 

[…]

 

Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK [signature]

(V. Ivanov)

 

Four copies printed

drafted by Ivanov

typed by Fokina

Nº 42

1 - to Cde. Molotov

2 - to Cde. Fedorenko

3 - to Cde. Kurdyukov

4 - to file

2 February 1956

Kim Il Sung tells Ivanov that he is interested in having Korean scientists work in nuclear research. Chinese Ambassador Pang Zili informs Ivanov about China’s position on the Swedish-Swiss Neutral Commission.


Document Information

Source

RGANI Fond 5, Opis 28, Delo 412. Translated by Gary Goldberg.

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Original Uploaded Date

2014-08-01

Type

Diary Entry

Language

Record ID

120790