Record of a Conversation between Soviet Embassy Counsellor S. Filatov and DPRK Vice Premier Pak Ui-wan

Secret

Copy Nº 3

from the journal of Cde. S. N. Filatov,        

Counsellor of the Soviet Embassy in   

the DPRK

Record of a conversation with Cde. Pak Ui-wan

29 February 1956

Cde. Pak Ui-wan, who visited the Embassy, said that on 28 February he was summoned by Cde. Kim Il Sung and had a long conversation with him on the question of measures to improve the work of construction organizations. He reacted approvingly to the release of 25,000 workers from construction organizations.

In the conversation Cde. Kim Il Sung said that recently he had received Cde. Gi Seok-bok, Kim Jwa-hyeok, and other Soviet Koreans. He was convinced that Gi Seok-pok, Jeon Dong-hyeok, Jeong Ryul, and other officials who had come from the Soviet Union are good officials, and we have made too many complaints against them. Their individual mistakes which they committed in the areas of literature and art ought to be formulated and such accusations which were made against Cde. Pak Chang-ok and Pak Yeong-bin need not have been made.

Cde. Kim Il Sung pointed out that the Pyongyang City Party Committee incorrectly gave instructions to secretaries of Party organizations to discuss Hegai's ties with such officials as Kim Jwa-hyeok, Pak Tae-seob, Pak Deok-hwan, and others. We have canceled this incorrect instruction. Some officials have been sternly warned for their incorrect attitude toward some Soviet Koreans.

Taking advantage of the good inclination of Cde. Kim Il Sung, I reminded him of my conversations with him in November and December of last year. Cde. Pak Ui-wan pointed out that these conversations touched on the activity of Cde. Pak Chang-ok, Pak Yeong-bin, Jeong Il-yong, Choe Chang-ik, and other senior officials.

Cde. Kim Il Sung said that he well remembered these conversations. But then you were unconvincing in your arguments and I was forced to reckon with the opinion of other officials and their demands. This caused me to speak at the December KWP CC Plenum and Presidium [meetings]. I did not suspect that my statements would be taken in such a way and that the discussion of the work of Pak Chang-ok would essentially lead to a discussion of the work of the many Koreans who came from the Soviet Union.

I asked Cde. Kim Il Sung to explain his statement at the Plenum about “some Soviet Koreans go to the Soviet Embassy without fail as soon as you start to criticize them”. At this point I said that I, too, was often in the Soviet Embassy and go there to consult on a number of issues of our work.

Cde. Kim Il Sung replied that he meant that period when Soviet Koreans were on the Party rolls in the Embassy. This was long ago. But it is good that a number of officials visit the Embassy. I myself have often sent some officials - it has happened that you call an official for a conversation on a particular issue, but he doesn't know anything, and then you send him to the Embassy. Then Cde. Kim Il Sung directed attention to the fact that only Soviet Koreans go to the Embassy. He would be glad if some local officials also visited the Soviet Embassy for consultations. We would only profit from this.

At the end of the conversation Pak Ui-wan said that he had formed the opinion that Cde. Kim Il Sung needs advice on many issues of Party and government policy, that he holds many conversations, listens to many officials, who are often not very competent.

[He] expressed an opinion about the usefulness of the conversations between Cde. Kim Il Sung and Soviet officials of which, he thinks, there are very few.

I thanked Cde. Pak Ui-wan for the conversation.

The conversation lasted two hours.

S. FILATOV

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