Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 30 September 1960

USSR TOP SECRET

MFA stamp:   Copy Nº 3

FROM THE JOURNAL

OF A. M. PUZANOV 02153-gs

10 October 1960

30 September 1960

Nº 162

[handwritten in the left margin: "to G. Ye. Samsonov" and two

other illegible names, one followed by "delo [file]] 035" and the other by "17 October 1960"]

JOURNAL

of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK Cde. A. M. PUZANOV

from 12 through 30 September 1960

Pyongyang

[…]

30 September 1960

I visited Deputy KWP CC Chairman Pak Geum-cheol.

I passed Pak Geum-cheol a CPSU CC letter addressed to the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea that the conference of representatives of Communist and worker's Parties of all countries would begin in Moscow on 10 November of this year, and also concerning other issues.

Pak Geum-cheol said that the letter would be sent as intended and examined by the KWP CC leadership.

I provided information about the status of the issue with the transfer of the technical documentation for the DVSSh-16 and SSh-8G carriers.

I told Pak Geum-cheol that on 21 August during a concert by Soviet artists Cde. Kim Il Sung expressed a request about sending technical documentation to the DPRK for the production of DVSSh-16 and SSh-8G carriers with all the mounted implements.

Having examined this request  on 7 September the State Scientific-Technical Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers reported that changed had been made to the construction of the undercarriages and consequently it was deemed inadvisable to send the technical documentation for them, and that this issue will be examined and decided in the first half of 1961 after technical testing in field conditions.

At my instruction acting Counsellor for Economic Issues A. I. Renzayev provided information about this [to]: Ri San-se [sic], Chief of the Technical Directorate of the Committee of Heavy Industry; Gye Heon-su, Chief of the Main Directorate of Precision Machinebuilding of the Committee of Heavy Industry; and Jeong Gi-sik [sic], Chief of the Directorate for Scientific and Technical Cooperation under Gosplan. They reported that the KWP CC had decided about the manufacture of a test batch of tool carriers this year and had set a plan target for the production of the carriers in 1961. In connection with this fact these officials persistently requested the issue be examined of transferring the technical documentation for the carriers to the immediate future without its modification, simultaneously sending comments about the results of the testing of the machines. They also reported that they intend to use the requested documentation to create their own design suitable in local conditions.

The Embassy reported about this to Moscow and asked this issue be decided favorably.

On 29 September Chairman of the State Committee Cde. Petukhov informed the Embassy that a decision had been made in connection with the above request concerning the transfer of the designs to the DVSSh-16 and SSh-8G carriers. In the process the State Committee reported that the DVSSh-16 is being removed from production in the Soviet Union in connection with [its] replacement with a new, more modern, T-16 model.

According to the information of the State Committee the T-16 carrier has the following advantages: 150-200 kg less weight, the addition of one speed equal to 19.6 km/hr for use during transport, an increase of the remaining five speeds, and an increase of reverse speed to 3.76 km/hr. For these reasons, reported Cde. Petukhov, orders were given to prepare to also pass you the design for the T-16 carrier. The State Committee asks that it be kept in mind that the first batch of these carriers will be prepared in the fourth quarter of this year and tested in field conditions in the spring of 1961. After this the final modifications of the designs will be made.

In the opinion of the State Committee it will be more correct to orient the production not to the DVSSh-16 carrier but to the T-16 carrier with the condition of starting up production based on the modified designs.

The State Committee also reported that it also ought to be borne in mind that the drawings were not developed for the SSh-8G. The first carriers prepared were not fully tested. But it is already clear right now that the carrier operates unreliably on inclines over 10 degrees. This carrier is intended for the operation of trimming tea leaves, and the cultivation and application of fertilizer on tea plantations. Taking this into consideration, the decision ought to be for mass production on condition of a final modification of the SSh-8G carrier design. It is expected that the drawings will be developed in the Soviet Union next year. The State Committee reports that if you decide on independent development of the drawings without waiting for the end of the work in the Soviet Union the State Committee is ready to receive Korean specialists for consultation at any time convenient for them.

The State Committee also reports that the drawings for the DVSSh-16, SSh-8G, and T-16 will be printed and sent to the Korean side within a month.

Pak Geum-cheol expressed appreciation for the detailed and specific explanation and asked that Cde. Petukhov be sent gratitude for the sincere desire to help the Korean friends. Now, said Pak Geum-cheol, I know this issue well and will report about it in detail to Cde. Kim Il Sung.

I told Pak Geum-cheol about my recent trip to enterprises and agricultural cooperatives in the course of the conversation which took place. In doing this I touched on the same issues as in the conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Seong-cheol.

I told of my impressions about the organization of the system of payment for labor at the [Kwanpho] state poultry farm and it provoked great interest from Pak Geum-cheol. A lively conversation began in the course of which Pak Geum-cheol said in particular that the system of bonus payment for labor was introduced at the farm from the experience of using this system at agricultural cooperatives and that Cde. Kim Il Sung is personally devoting great attention to the elaboration of these issues, going directly to the sites. Contentious issues might also arise in the practical implementation of the principle of material interest put in place in the system of payment for labor at the farm. For example, in establishing a final calculation at the end of the year and introducing a system of advances we presumed that, however, in accordance with your statement the calculation can also be made quarterly, to increase the amount of the monthly advance from 30%, as at present, to 60-65% in order to support the material interest of the farm workers in their work for the entire year. We are still studying and discussing this issue.

At the end of the conversation Pak Geum-cheol again expressed gratitude for the information and the comments made in the course of the conversation about the trip, characterizing them as valuable and useful.

For my part, I thanked Pak Geum-cheol for the conversation.

The conversation lasted two hours and passed in a cordial environment. It was evident that Pak Geum-cheol listened to the information with great interest and attention. [He] held the conversation eagerly.

SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK [signature] (A. Puzanov)

Five copies sent

1 - Cde. A. A. Gromyko

2 - Cde. Yu. V. Andropov

3 - Cde. V. I. Tugarinov

4 - UVPI MID SSSR

5 - to file

Nº 480, at

30 September 1960