Note about a Conversation with the Ambassador of Czechoslovakia to the DPRK Comrade Moravec

SED Central Committee

Department of International Relations

[archival signature missing]

GDR Embassy in DPRK

Pyongyang, 7 January 1963

Note

about a Conversation with the Ambassador of Czechoslovakia to the DPRK, Comrade Moravec,

in the GDR Embassy on 21 December 1962

On 21 December 1962 I was visited by the Czechoslovak Ambassador, Comrade Moravec.

He informed me about the CPC Party Congress and the performance of the Korean delegation headed by Ri Ju-yeon [Ri Ju Yon]. After Ri Ju-yeon's statement, there was an interesting discussion between him [Moravec] and members of the delegation. Ri Ju-yeon tried to defend his statement by referring to the situation in the DPRK. He placed two apples on the table, calling the left one China and the right one Soviet Union. Then he put another apple in the center, called it Korea, took a knife, and cut the apple in halves. Next he posed this question to Comrade Moravec: “Should we do it this way – moving one half over there and the other over here? This is impossible. If you would be in a situation like ours, you probably would have no other choice than we have. We tried for a long time everything to prevent the different opinions to become public. Now a situation has arrived where we have to make a decision. We still want to continue friendship with the PR China and the Soviet Union. The differences of opinion we now have should not have an impact on this.” [Other information given by Comrade Moravec in our conversation is covered in the note by Comrade Winkelmann from 4 January 1963.]

Comrade Moravec said he observed Comrade Ri Ju-yeon during the entire return trip [from Prague to Pyongyang]. The latter walked back and forth in the airplane looking very tense. Apparently he thought very hard about the consequences of his performance [at the CPC Party Congress].

Comrade Moravec informed he will invite at a next opportunity the members of the DPRK delegation and the Foreign Minister to a dinner. He will not come up himself with issues on the agenda in Prague. If the Korean comrades will start a discussion, he will openly defend the CPC position.

Furthermore, Comrade Moravec informed about the provocative attitude displayed by the head of the Chinese delegation, and how the CPC comrades in charge had reacted to that.

[signed]

K[urt] Schneidewind

Ambassador

CC:

1x Central Committee, Foreign Policy Division

1x Comrade Schwab

1x Embassy