Note form the Embassy of the Polish Republic in Korea

Pyongyang, 27 January 1953

Embassy of the

Polish Republic SECRET [crooked stamp]

in Korea SECRET

No. 2421/6/53/TJN [tajne—secret]

Note

On 26.I. of this year, V[ice]-Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, Comr. Pak Heon-yeong [Pak Hon Yong] invited all the heads of the diplomatic missions for a conference, “another conference,” as he said, whose goal was briefly to acquaint us with the results of the activities of the people’s government in 1952, plans for 1953 and the current situation.

The bombarding of the electric power plant in Supung in July 1952, and the subsequent destruction of other electric power plants, has largely made the execution of plans for industry and agriculture difficult, since the basic sources of energy were destroyed or damaged. Not only industry but also rice paddies, which are artificially watered by electric pumps, have been endangered. The heroic work of the working class and peasantry under the leadership of the Korean Workers’ Party and government has saved the situation and allowed the overcoming of all difficulties. The overall fulfillment of the industrial production plan for 1952 was 119%.

Light industry, which is of grave importance in supplying the population, fulfilled its plan in the area of cotton textiles (88%), producing 18,407,500 m. of textiles of the 20,960,000 m. that had been planned. Of rubber shoes, 2,667,470 pairs were produced, yielding 231.8% compared to 1951. 40,560,000 packets of matches were produced, i.e., 191.1% compared to 1951. Of soy oil, which is used widely because of a lack of meat and it is an important food product, 2,036 t. were produced, i.e., 169% compared to 1951. Of vodka, whose production is monopolized, 11,151,000 liters were produced. Only 2,495 t. of tobacco were produced, i.e., 51% of the plan. The quality of Korean tobacco is good, but the peasants have no interest in producing it, hence the plan was not fulfilled. 119,996 t. of salt, i.e., 51% compared to 1951 were produced. The extraction of salt dropped because the DPRK has old supplies of salt, and annual use is no higher than this year’s production.

Transportation […]

Demonstrating the heroism of the working class, Comr. Pak Heon-yeong gave a few examples of heroic work. The miner Ri Cheon-seon fulfilled the annual plan by 14.V.1952 and began to mine for the 1953 plan; the miner Cho Du-sil mined 217 t. of lead ore in a record day, i.e., 27 workloads, producing 190% of the annual plan.

The industrial plan for 1953, as for last year, sets as its main tasks securing the front, strengthening the country’s defensive power and raising the standard of the population’s life. Here are some figures:

The extraction of lead is to reach 117% compared to 1952, tin 84.5%. The production of cotton textiles is to reach 28,601 km., of silk textiles 1,281 km., of rubber shoes 9,623,000 pairs, of fish 115,188 t., of tobacco 5,050 t., of soy oil 7,422 t. and the weight of transported freight 5,500,000 t.

Agriculture.

I mentioned the difficulties brought on by the shattering of the power plant above, to it must be added the shortage of work force in the countryside, the shortage of tractive power, artificial fertilizers, the destruction of houses and so forth.

[Trans. note: omitted are the effects of flooding, government supplies of food, agricultural education of the peasantry, production records of individual farmers, activists’ congress, animal husbandry, administrative changes in the provinces.]

Regarding the talks in Gaeseong, everyone knows that the Americans have interrupted these talks for an indeterminate period of time, and everything points to the fact that they do not want to resume them. After rejecting the Soviet Union’s plan at the UN, adopting the Indian resolution, which is only a veiled American resolution, and the current speeches by the new president of the USA, it can be seen clearly that the imperialists, in preparing a new offensive, are counting on resolving the Korean question by force. The commander in chief Clark asked for the sending of 3-4 additional divisions to Korea; at the same time a new commander of the American army in Korea, Gen. Taylor, was named and intensive exercises of sea landing forces are being conduced in the south of Korea. Apart from this Syngman Rhee has gone to Japan, where he held talks not only with the Japanese government but also with Chiang Kai-shek’s representatives. At the same time, air raids are intensifying at the front and in the rear areas. All the above facts point to an escalation of the situation, preparations for an offensive on a large scale. The Americans want to cut North Korea with landings from the sea at Wonsan and Sinuiju, to attack from all sides, but the Korean nation is prepared to break this newly prepared offensive. The defense of the front and coast is strong as never before, and new attacks will bring nothing other than American losses. The unity of the front and the rear is unbreakable and the high fighting spirit is rising even higher. Opinions are divided in the ruling circles of the USA, not everyone is certain of victory. Thus, for example, Lt.-General (ret.) Robert Ikelborker [trans. note: should be Eichelberger] declared on 23.I. of this year, according to the UP, that even if it gathers all its forces, the USA will not be able to shatter the Korean front; he recalls the losses in 1950 and predicts that the current offensive may bring even greater losses. In reality, the Korean nation is well-prepared and, in case of an American offensive, it will try to fulfill the predictions of the retired lieutenant-general.

The totality of the activities of the people’s government in 1952 has excellently increased the unity and strength of the front and rear stabilizing the life of the population despite the bestial bombing raids.

The Korean Workers’ Party

In November 1951 the IV Plenum of the CC CWP took place, which adopted the resolution about the growth of the party; at the V Plenum, which convened in December of last year, the party’s growth by 40% was acknowledged, but in many cases the quality of this growth was forgotten, and hence the V Plenum set as its goals the elimination of these mistakes and an improvement in the work of the party. The basic line of work of the KWP and government continues to be based on the resolutions of the IV Plenum of the CC KWP and on the February speech by Kim Il Sung. The peoples’ government had great achievements last year in fighting aggression, strengthening the rear, massive heroism of the Korean People’s Army thanks to Kim Il Sung’s correct leadership, thanks to the assistance from the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China and the Countries of Peoples’ Democracy.

A nation that is conducting war usually goes hungry, but in the DPRK it is the opposite: this is so thanks to the assistance of those many assault brigades about which Comr. Stalin spoke.

The conference lasted 2 and one half hours.

Góra Józef

Charge d’Affaires a.i.

of the Embassy of the PRL [People’s Republic of Poland] in the DPRK

3 copies made

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