Record of a Conversation with Cde. Ryu Seong-hun, Rector of the DPRK Cabinet of Ministers Institute of the Economy and Economics

from the journal of [stamp of N. T.       SECRET

Counsellor of the USSR Fedorenko's   Copy Nº 1

Embassy in the DPRK Secretariat: [USSR MFA

S. N. Filatov "Secret Far East

Incoming Department

Nº 484-if stamp:

4 May 1955"] Incoming Nº

2039s

4/6 May

1955

Record of a conversation

with Cde. Ryu Seong-hun, Rector of the DPRK Cabinet of Ministers Institute of the Economy and Economics

12 April 1955

I received Ryu Seong-hun, who visited the Embassy at his own initiative. In conversation Ryu Seong-hun reported about the serious shortcomings which exist in the work of the Institute. First, he pointed out that the majority of the instructors received a higher education in Japan and continue to be guided by old bourgeois positions in educational work.

A number of instructors commit gross theoretical mistakes in covering Marxist-Leninist theory and the history of Korea. For example, Kim Sin-chun [sic], the head of the department of the principles of Marxism-Leninism, declared until recently in his lectures and statements at the academic council of the Institute that a dictatorship of the proletariat had been established after the liberation of Korea by the Soviet Army and the people of North Korea had already begun to build socialism by 1946.

A number of instructors and especially those of the departments of the principles of Marxism-Leninism, political economy, and Korean history incorrectly understand the role of the personality and the popular masses in history. They think that now as before the main driving force in history is national leaders, leaders of parties and governments. In corroboration of this argument they point out that Kim Il Sung decides everything in the DPRK. They point out that you do not find in the press that people are the driving forces of the course of history. Whatever questions are decided in the KWP CC and Government, everything is done by order of Kim Il Sung. As some instructors point out, our people obediently follow Kim Il Sung.

Then Ryu Seong-hun said that when in 1954 Ri Na-yeong , chief of the department of Korean history, was developing a subject on the Patriotic War of the Korean people, he received material on this theme from Deputy Minister of Defense Kim Ung. The material sent by Kim Ung pointed out that all military operations during the Patriotic War of the Korean people were directed by the headquarters of the Chinese volunteer army and that Kim Il Sung was not involved [stoyal na storone]. Division and corps commanders of the Korean Army received orders from the headquarters of the Chinese army. This material was reported to the KWP CC, from which came an official who removed all the material given to the Institute by Kim Ung.

Ryu Seong-hun repeatedly turned to Cdes. Pak Jeong-ae and Pak Yeong-bin in the KWP CC about the shortcomings which existed in the work of the Institute and requested their help in solving a number of issues, including strengthening the Institute with instructional personnel who are more trained. He also asked them to raise the issue to the DPRK Cabinet of Ministers about a request to the Soviet Government to send an adviser to the rector of the Institute but the above KWP CC officials did not help him.

I thanked Cde. Ryu Seong-hun for the information, and asked him to tell about the composition of the students, their living conditions, and academic progress.

Ryu Seong-hun eagerly answered the questions that were raised.

There are a total of 800 students in the Institute, of which 700 are KWP members and 100 are members of other parties or unaffiliated. One hundred students are from the south of Korea, and 75% are married.

Each student gets a stipend of 1200 won a month, of which 600 are deducted for food. The students live badly; the stipend is insufficient. The mood, especially of the students from the south of Korea, is bad. The academic progress is slow.

There should be 19 departments, but in view of the fact that there are no instructors in several disciplines only 10 departments are operating.

There are six schools: state construction, agricultural construction, industrial construction, economic planning, trade, and finance and credit.

Ryu Seong-hun pointed out that the Institute trains leaders for industry, transportation, agriculture, trade and financial officials.

I again thanked Ryu Seong-hun for the information.

[signature] S. FILATOV