Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 17 March 1960

USSR EMBASSY IN THE DPRK [faded USSR   TOP SECRET

MFA stamp:                     Copy Nº 3

Nº 58 0767s

25 March 1960 9 April 1960]

[handwritten:

"to Cdes. [[N. P. Varnov?]] and Samsonov, G. Ye.

9 April 1960 [[illegible signature]]"]

JOURNAL

of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A. M. Puzanov for the period

16 February through 24 March 1960

Pyongyang

[…]

17 March 1960

I visited the port of Nampo together with Counsellor V. A. Zharkov. We inspected the port and had a conversation with Kim Byeong-ho, chief of the port, Jo Bae-su, manager of the construction trust, and Soviet specialist A. N. Potapov.

In the conversation which was held they told us the following. The cleanup of the port of deposits of silt and dirt has been mainly finished. What is left it to take away no more than 6-7,000 cubic meters of dirt, which will be done by the end of this March. The port will be able to operate the same as previously, that is, accept ships with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons, and larger ships will be stopped at the roadstead with subsequent offloading. Considerable work to lay railroad tracks, a water line, public amenities for the grounds of the port, mechanization of the loading and unloading work, etc. were still left to the construction trust on the grounds of the port. According to a report of the trust manager no less than 2500-3000 workers are needed to finish this work by the end of April whereas the trust has no more than 700 people. The city Party committee has promised the necessary help; all the work to restore the port should be basically done in April in any event. According to a report of the chief of the port this year it is planned to send up to 170,000 of anthracite coals to Japan through the port, receive tens of thousands of tons of coking coal from China, and apatite [appatity - SIC] from Vietnam, and also shipments of sand from the province of South Hwanghae for the glass plant in Nampo, and others. On the whole a cargo turnover of up to 300,00 tons is planned for the port this year. The chief of the port and the manager of the construction trust gave high marks to the work of the Soviet specialists working to restore the port and warmly thanked the Soviet government for the help given.

I asked them whether they have any complaints or questions for us associated with the work of the Soviet specialists and Soviet mechanisms.

They replied that there are no complaints or questions.

[…]

USSR AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK

[signature]

(A. PUZANOV)

Five copies printed

1 - Cde. A. A. Gromyko

2 - Cde. Yu. V. Andropov

3 - Cde. DVO, USSR MFA

4 - Cde. I. I. Tugarinov

5 - to file

Nº [208]