Telegram from the Hungarian Embassy in Pyongyang, 'KWP’s 6th Congress'

PYONGYANG, 80. 10. 23.

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Created by Ko 10.20

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CIPHER TELEGRAM

Subject: KWP’s 6th Congress

The delegations of the CPSU and the KWP, led by Comrades Grishin and Kim Yeong-nam respectively, held talks during the Korean party congress. Their released joint statement was published in Korean daily newspapers in its entirety.

The Soviet ambassador informed me that the recent talks were the continuation of Comrade Kim Yeong-nam’s Moscow negotiations last year. Around this time the Soviet side informed the Koreans in detail about the Soviet assessment of all timely international issues (including the Soviet support to Afghanistan, and to the countries of Indochina, etc. as well as the policies of the current Chinese leaders), and about the willingness to versatilely improve the Soviet-Korean interparty and interstate relations.

Comrade Kim Yeong-nam expressed his gratitude for the Soviet support so far regarding the reunification policies of the KWP, but expressed his dislike this time for the South Korean presence at international events held in the Soviet Union.

He asked the Soviet Union to dissociate itself from South Korean entries and “cross-recognition”. Comrade Grishin repeated the known Soviet standpoints regarding this topic, and asserted that the Soviet side considers the issue permanently closed with this.

The KWP is also ready, said Comrade Kim Yeong-nam, to improve the Korean-Soviet relations.

Comrade Kim Yeong-nam commented only generally on the international situation. He did not even address the issues of Afghanistan, Indochina, or China, saying that the Soviet party knows the standpoint of the KWP very well.

Comrade Kim Il Sung received the Soviet party delegation for a three-hour talk and lunch after it. Here, Comrade Grishin briefly summarized the points he made during the negotiations, to which Comrade Kim Il Sung listened attentively.

Comrade Kim Il Sung expressed his gratitude for the continuous moral and financial support of the Soviet Union since 1945, and for the efforts of the Soviet experts currently working in the DPRK. He greatly appreciated his last meeting with Comrade Brezhnev in Belgrade. He envisaged fulfilling the previous invitation of Comrade Brezhnev next year sometime around spring or summer. He cannot travel to the Soviet Union earlier.

Comrade Grishin brought up the subject of China before Comrade Kim Il Sung as well, highlighting the collaboration of current Chinese leaders with the most reactionary imperialist circles, and how they were growing closer to the United States, Japan, etc.

Comrade Kim Il Sung valued China as a fighting companion, stating that China has provided and still is providing great assistance to the DPRK, furthermore there is an active collaboration between the two countries currently as well.

The Korean side would like the Soviet Union to improve the interparty and intergovernmental relations with the DPRK. Comrade Kim Il Sung evaded the Soviet response to this subject with the promise that they would continue the conversation during lunch, but he did not give such an opportunity there.

According the Soviet evaluation of the KWP’s congress and negotiations, there are no essential changes in the Korean Workers’ Party’s internal, external, and reunifications policies. The politics of the KWP can be described as maverick, pragmatic, national, and divergent from socialism as well as Marxism-Leninism.

Despite this, according to the evaluation of the Soviet delegation, versatile relations with the DPRK have to be maintained and improved in areas where possible.

From the experiences of the delegation, Comrade –riulin highlighted two:

1)  There is military order, discipline in the country; they built a lot.

2)  Consternation is the defining experience due to nationalism, pragmatism, and dissociation from the Marxist–Leninist ideologies (juche). 

– 175 E. –

To be seen by

Comrade Szabó F.

Comrade Dr. Tóth J.

Seen by

Comrade Bényei

Comrade Rátkai

Comrade Bulyovszky

Comrade Újlaki

Comrade Hajdú

Comrade Krasznai

[Translation notes: Comrade –riulin might refer to Comrade Firiulin.]