Skip to content

April 24, 1978

Memorandum on the Korean Efforts to Establish Cooperation between the Military Intelligence of the DPRK and Directorate II General Staff of the PA

This document was made possible with support from The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE

GENERAL STAFF P[OLISH] A[RMY] - DIRECTORATE II Warsaw, …

CLASSIFIED

Copy no.

 

[Handwritten notation: “ C[omrade]  Col.  S. Kamiński; ST. 26478]

[stamp: “P[olish] A[rmy] General Staff; Directorate II; No.   Org 103020/78; received: April 26, 1978]

MEMORANDUM

on the Korean efforts to establish cooperation between the military intelligence of the DPRK and Directorate II General Staff of the PA

 

In the years 1970–1978, the Koreans tried three times to establish cooperation in the field of military intelligence between the People’s Armed Forces (PAF) of the DPRK and the Polish Army.

1. In mid-1970, the DPRK military attaché in Warsaw, asked the Chief of Directorate II of the General Staff of the Polish Army Brig. Gen.  W. Oliwa to establish cooperation between the military intelligence services of the North Korean and the Polish armed forces. The agreed principles restricted this cooperation to mutual exchange of information on military and military-political issues; the Polish side committed itself to sending a monthly report on the NATO forces and the United States' engagement all over the world.

The monthly transmissions to the North Korean side were specially prepared by the Directorate II of the General Staff of the PA. They contained only materials based on press reports and memoranda of Polish military attachés. These were also based on Bi-Weekly Intelligence Communications of Directorate II of the General Staff of the PA, after eliminating any information received in the framework of exchange between the Intelligence Directorates of Warsaw Pact member states.

After two specially prepared monthly reports (in Polish) were sent to Pyongyang, the Koreans provided us with one brochure (in Korean). The results of our analysis show that it contains generally available propaganda material used in the party-political work of the KPA [Korean People’s Army], based on Mao Zedong’s slogans.

After two more communications, the Koreans sent us another propaganda brochure, similar to the first one, which was completely unsuitable for information work.

Thus, Directorate II of the General Staff of the PA restricted its cooperation with the military intelligence of the DPRK; for two to three consecutive months, no material was transferred to the North Korean side. Following an intervention of the military attaché, Directorate II  of the General Staff of the PA again sent several press-based messages to Pyongyang. In return, no materials were sent by the Koreans.

Finally, cooperation was interrupted in spring 1972.

2. In November 1975, the DPRK military attaché once again asked through the then chief of the Foreign Military Affairs Division (FAMD) the chief of Directorate II of the General Staff Polish Army Brig. Gen.  Czesław Kiszczak to establish cooperation between the military intelligence services. In a discussion with the Korean attaché, Deputy Head chief of Directorate II of the General Staff of the PA, Col. E. Poradko said that the Polish side had no materials about the US troops stationed in South Korea and when it obtained any information on this matter, it would transmit it to the Korean side; the Korean side assured that if it receives materials related to NATO it would send it to Directorate II  of the General Staff of the PA.

In practice, the parties exchanged no documents or information.

3. For the third time, the DPRK military attaché in Warsaw asked the chief of the FAMD to resume cooperation between the military intelligence services of North Korea and Poland in 1978.

He received the reply that cooperation in the field of military intelligence is a matter of national importance and is therefore to be discussed and decided at a very high level. The FAMD chief proposed that the matter be discussed by the Minister of National Defense General W. Jaruzelski with the Minister of the DPRK People's Armed Forces General O  Jin U during his visit to Poland planned for the current year. At the same time, he informed that before any substantive talks between the two ministers it would not be possible to accept the delegation of the KPA Intelligence Directorate IN Poland.

 

DIRECTORATE II of the GENERAL STAFF OF THE PA

 

Printed in 1 copy

Made by H.K. -Col. Printed by: J.B.   April 24, [19]78 No. 0354/G

 

An evaluation of information sharing between the DPRK military intelligence service and Directorate II of the General Staff of the Polish Army on US and NATO troops.



Document Information

Source

AIPN, 2602/20025. Contributed by Marek Hańderek and translated by Jerzy Giebułtowski.

Rights

The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.

To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at [email protected].

Original Uploaded Date

2022-10-31

Type

Memorandum

Language

Record ID

291077

Original Classification

Classified

Donors

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars