Memorandum on Studies of Employees of the Ministry of Public Security of the DPRK at the Main School of Fire Service (SGSP)

[Stamp: "The Main School of Fire Service"]

MEMORANDUM

on studies of employees of the Ministry of Public Security of the DPRK at the  Main School of Fire Service (SGSP)

In May 1983, an agreement was concluded between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the People’s Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Public Security of the DPRK on the opening in the academic year 1985/86 of engineer's studies at the Fire Service Main School by 4+5 employees of the DPRK Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

After one year of Polish language training at Łódź, 5 DPRK MPS employees began engineering studies at the Main School of Fire Service. The students: Dżan Ri Bow, Dżan Dżon IL, Kim Czun Som, Lee Man Sen, and Sok Gwan [sic; proper spelling of Korean names unknown]

In August and September, the students from the DPRK received training in the Fire Forest Base in Zamczysko-Nowe in the basic duties and principles of operation during fire and other rescue operations involving fire fighters.

In 1986, Col. of the F[ire] S[ervice] Dr Eng. Henryk Jaworski was appointed tutor of this group of students  and in 1987 Dr Eng.  Andrzej Kamiński, who has served in this capacity until now.  Special curricula have been developed and delivered to the students in typescript.

A small Polish-Korean and Korean-Polish dictionary was developed for internal use by the students and employees of the SGSP.

The students are currently studying on the third year and are currently studying in the fifth semester of education.

The course of studies looks as follows: Semester I: covered the following subjects

1. Polish  

2. Mathematics

3. Physics

4. Physical chemistry

5. Technical drawing

6. Technical Mechanics

7. PE

Students found it most difficult to pass exams in mathematicsand technical mechanics (two students took the exams three times).

Semester II covered the following subjects:

1. Polish

2. Mathematics

3. Physical chemistry

4. Technical drawing

5. Physics

6. PE.

Students found it most difficult to pass exams in mathematics and physics (repeated the exam three times).

Semester III covered the following subjects:

1. Polish

2. Organic chemistry

3. Strength of materials

4. Fundamentals of machine design

5. Materials Science

6. Combustion

7. Extinguishing agents

8. PE

They also found it difficult to pass the exam in "extinguishing agents" and organic chemistry. As of now, student Sok Gwan failed to obtain the credit in organic chemistry.

The teacher made repeated appointments with the student, but he failed to turn up for the test.

Semester IV covered the following subjects:

1. Polish

2. Electronic calculation technology

3. Hydromechanics

4. Fundamentals of machine design

5. Materials Science

6. Combustion

7. Extinguishing agents

8. PE

There are problems with obtaining credits in extinguishing agents.

Semester V:

1. Polish

2. Hydromechanics

3. Fire prevention in power engineering

4. Fundamentals of civil engineering

5. Fire safety precautions in agricultural production

6. PE

In general, the students from the DPRK receive a curricula for each subject (subject range) and grading procedures. This form is acceptable to the students from the DPRK.

Given that [the students] are having linguistic problems and  [thus they need] more time to process materials independently, in 1988, engineering theses topics were formulated, and supervisors were appointed and agreed upon with the students.

Engineering theses topics

- Analysis of automatic fire protection systems. 

Sek Gang [referred to above as: “Sok Gwan”]; supervisor: Cpt. of the F[ire] S[ervice] Dr Eng. Marian Dąbrowski

- Combustible materials and their impact on the rise and development of fires – Czong Ri Bong [referred to above as:”Dżan Ri Bow”]; supervisor Col. of the F[ire] S[ervice] Prof. Antoni Kwiatkowski.

- The methodology of assessing the applicability of selected types of water and foam fire engines in the DPRK conditions

Lee Man Sen; supervisor: Lt. Col. of the F[ire] S[ervice] Dr Eng.  Jacek Roguski.

- Rescue and fire-fighting operations of fire fighting units in urban conditions

Czang Czeng Ji [referred to above as: “Dżan Dżon IL”]; supervisor: Maj. of the F[ire] S[ervice] Dr Eng. Andrzej Kamiński.

- Analysis of the use and deployment of fire fighting units in urban conditions

Kim Czun Sen [referred to above as:”Kim Czun Som’] ; supervisor: Col. of the F[ire] S[ervice] Dr Eng. Ludwik Wargocki.

In 1986, the students participated as observers in the fire fighting sports event at Poznań.

In 1987, they participated in the voluntary Fire Service youth camp at Słupsk.

In 1988, the students were allowed to travel to several cities in Poland to visit them and meet with students from the DPRK in these cities.

2. Social conditions

The students received their own accommodation on the School premises.

They received fatigues and the necessary equipment to participate in classes and exercises.

They receive a scholarship that varied between 1986 and the present day.

In I986 this scholarship is 9000 zlotys per student.

In 1988, at the students’ request, due to the specific nature of their diet, they no longer use the SGSP canteen and receive a monetary equivalent in order to buy their own food.

This equivalent is 9000– 10000 zlotys  per month.

They will also be issued a coupons for their monthly allocation of meat. The students are covered by health care on the SGSP premises (internal medicine and dental care)and by specialist care at clinical hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Warsaw on Komarowa Street.

3. Co-operation with DPRK Embassy

From 1985 to 1988, five meetings were held of the representatives of the SGSP and the staff of the DPRK Embassy responsible for the affairs of the employees of the DPRK Ministry of Public Security studying at the Main School of Fire Service.

The meetings dealt with social and organizational issues related to the studies mentioned above [students] at the SGSP.

Despite previous agreements, the Korean side has not yet reimbursed the Polish side for the costs incurred so far for the studies of the employees of the DPRK Ministry of Public Security at the SGSP.

There is one urgent problem, namely to determine the content and scope of the theses [to be submitted] by these students. The topics proposed by the Polish side should be consulted and clarified with the DPRK Ministry of Public Security by the supervisors of those theses in the DPRK, after their possible acceptance.

[Stamp: “Deputy Commandant for Academic and Education Matters, Col. of the Fire Ser[vice] Dr Antoni Kwiatkowski]

[Stamp: “Commandant Col. of the Fire Ser[vice] Dr Eng. Mirosław Zdanowski”