Record of Talks between Kim Il Sung and Bulgarian Ambassador to North Korea, Misho Nikolov

TALKS

between Comrade Kim Il Sung and Bulgarian Ambassador to DPRK

Comrade Misho Nikolov during his farewell visit

I highly appreciate your work during your tenure in DPRK to improve the relations between our two countries, and I thank you for this. For a certain period of time, our relations were not normal, but we are very glad that currently relations are developing normally.

We have only good feelings towards the Bulgarian people and Bulgarian Communist Party.

Bulgarian people follow the revolutionary traditions of Comrade Georgi Dimitrov – Lenin and Stalin’s fellow. Relations between countries and parties are developing on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and therefore they are indestructible in spite of some differences. We are glad that relations between our countries are developing normally and will continue to develop in future.

Recently, our two countries have exchanged many delegations, established contacts, which significantly contribute to future relations. Upon your return, I request that you give Comrade Todor Zhivkov and other leaders in CC of BCP our regards and confidence that the Korean people, firmly standing on the positions of Marxism-Leninism, will consolidate relations with the Bulgarian people and the other socialist countries.

I appreciate the high assessment you give to our country’s achievements in socialist construction.

Our country is facing American imperialism. We are opposing a one-million strong enemy army. We are well aware of the significance of fraternal countries’ support and assistance to our struggle.

Our country is small and regardless of our morale we are not capable of winning because we are facing the lord of imperialism who is the most barbarian and militant. Therefore, we need help.

Currently, our country is in a situation countering American imperialism and Japanese militarism, on the one hand, and neighboring Great Soviet Union and Great China, on the other.

Great Soviet Union and Great China are our supportive allies. I ask you to tell Comrade Todor Zhivkov that when relations between these two great countries were good we were calm; however, when relations between them deteriorated it was difficult for us to regulate relations with them.

We use a lot of efforts and energy and take into account every letter in our press not to offend either of our big brothers.

We will always strive to consolidate relations with socialist countries.

Soviet brothers liberated us and are helping us. Chinese brothers are our fellows in the struggle against imperialism and they are also helping us. These countries will help us in the future. Therefore, based on the principles of Marxism-Leninism, we are going to develop relations with Soviet brothers, as well as with our Chinese brothers, without having any preferences.

Regarding the internal situation in the country, there are no complicated issues. Our country is the target of different bourgeois, revisionist, dogmatic and other ideologies, but they are easily overcome by our party since party members are aware that without unity we are going to perish. If we are not united enough, enemies will swallow us. Hence, the most important question in our party is the question of further unification.

Black bourgeois and hostile ideology elements cannot find favorable ground in our party because party members do not accept them.

Uniting internal party groups and adhering to the principles of Marxism-Leninism is not an easy job. During the three-year Fatherland Liberation War we were united. After the truce, all different opinions and trends in our party were overcome.

In 1956, some fraternal European parties faced difficult situations, but due to the unity of our people and party members there were no complications in our country.

We cannot under these conditions weaken work with the youth. If we weaken our vigilance, the enemy will swallow us.

Once again, I thank you for your high assessment for our accomplishments. I take this assessment as a warning not to become proud of our successes.

I would like to raise another issue and I ask you to convey the message to Comrade Todor Zhivkov.

We are not willing to complicate international situation because of the Korean question.

No one likes war and we are not willing that the solution of the Korean question would lead to a new world war. We will not let this happen.

The Soviet Union and China are our allies, and the US and Japan are South Korea’s allies. A conflict between DPRK and South Korea will provoke the intervention of the Soviet Union, China, Japan and the United States – therefore, the beginning of a new world war.

We are doing our best to confine solving the Korean question to Korea and specifically to South Korea.

We believe that the most important factors for solving the Korean question are accumulation of revolutionary forces in South Korea, conducting South Korean revolution, and thus unification of the country.

The core of our position on unification of Korea is taking the power in South Korea by the people and solving the Korean issue by negotiations with the progressive government to be formed after the South Korean people take the power in their hands.

Why are we not willing to have talks with Park Chung Hee? Because he is a national traitor and a servant to American imperialism. He repeatedly rejected our proposals for peaceful unification of the nation. If someone else takes over power in South Korea, we will talk about the unification of Korea.

Recent Park Chung Hee’s so-called “peaceful proposals” on “some contacts with North Korea” lack any content and aim at lying to South Korean people and helping Park Chung Hee’s election as President for the third time. If South Korean people manage to oust Park Chung Hee, we will hold talks with the new government to solve the Korean question.

Please tell Comrade Todor Zhivkov that regardless of the sharp words we often use, we are still following the principle of peaceful unification and we will not provoke international tension. We are trying to confine South Korean revolution to South Korea.

So far, we have not had the opportunity to talk with you and your leaders on what I have just said. Therefore, I request that you convey this message to your leadership.

During his visit to the Soviet Union this spring, Comrade Pak Seong-cheol met Comrade Brezhnev and expressed the above position.

I will raise another question that provokes some misunderstanding. This is the question of interpreting the slogan for autonomy, independence and self-defense. Often, this slogan is interpreted as having no need for support and raising it we are willing to conceal from our people the assistance we receive. The slogan for autonomy, independence and self-defense is not focused at any fraternal country. We raise this slogan taking into account the situation in South Korea. The South Korean people are not aware of proletarian internationalism. It is important to tear South Korea off the influence of US and Japan.

If we conduct policy of dependence from other countries, the South Korean population will say that communists conduct the same policy as the South Korean government. Therefore, South Korea needs policy of independence, which is the claim of our slogan. This slogan has positive impact among nearly all South Korean population which supports us. In spite of the long terms of both Rhee Syngman and Park Chung Hee, they did not manage to mobilize the youth against DPRK.

Lately, the Federation of South Korean youth and students published a declaration stating that they oppose the interference of American imperialism in South Korea and support independent policy. This is the result of our slogans and our policy.

Another example in this direction is the recent statement of Mr. Kim Dae-jung – Presidential candidate of the New Democratic Party of South Korea. Undoubtedly, he is anti-communist, but in his speeches he says that in case he is elected for president, he will impose democratic regime and people will be granted democratic rights; he will establish relations with the Soviet Union and China and will have talks with them on solving the Korean question. Although not explicitly said, this means he is planning to conduct neutral policy. If he takes power in South Korea, we can talk to him about peaceful unification of the country. If this is the case, why shall we fight? South Korean intelligentsia, young people and students read a lot about DPRK; they listen to the radio, and know our slogans.

The work of the congress was broadcast on television. With Panmunjeom’s help, my report to the congress was seen and heard by South Koreans. We believe that as a result, half of the ruling Republican Party members are not firm in their positions.

For dozens of years already, we have been fighting for communism and we cannot turn into nationalists for a short period of time.

I beg you to understand correctly this issue and to convey the information to Comrade Todor Zhivkov and the other leaders.

Thank you for your attention.

Pyongyang, 18 November 1970