Report from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Poland in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for the Period of 25 June to 25 July 1952.

REPORT

of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Poland

in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

for the period of 25 June 1952 to 25 July 1952

Embassy Pyongyang, 8 August 1952

of the Polish Republic BY COURIER [stamp]

in Korea SECRET [stamp]

242/4/52 Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Warsaw

SECRET [crooked stamp]

I am enclosing 5 copies of the report from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Poland in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for the period of 25 June to 25 July 1952.

Góra Józef

Charge d’Affaires a.i.

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

REPORT

of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Poland

in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

for the period of 25 June 1952 to 25 July 1952

There is insufficient material to analyze the political, economic and military situation of fighting Korea, and this is why I am only giving the general outlines of the situation in this report. But I am able to discuss in detail the assistance of the Countries of People’s Democracy to fighting Korea, which I know about from information from heads of diplomatic missions and the press.

The bombing of 4 large hydro-electric power stations on Yalu[Yalujiang] River (Chinese-Korean border area) on 20-23 June of this year deprived all of North Korea and a part of North-Eastern China of electric energy, that is, industry stopped almost completely, some rice fields that were artificially irrigated and cities remained without water. Electrification is universal in Korea, and therefore a shortage of electric energy is felt so strongly. Around 20.VII. electric energy came from the shattered power plant, and it was first of all given to industry, and then the water supply system was made to work and light was given to those who work underground and to the Embassies. Right now electric energy is being delivered in limited quantities and with interruptions.

In industry, until recently, the situation was very serious because of a shortage of rain, which normally starts to come down in June, and this year it began in the second half of July and not everywhere. The fields have been seeded and cultivated by women, old people and children. During the draught, the population carried water in little pails and watered the rice fields. Currently, as Vice-premier Pak Heon-yeong [Pak Hon Yong] claims, the danger of draught has passed.

Using the example of the actions (Three-anti and Five-anti campaigns) conducted in the People’s Republic of China, the government of the DPRK will also begin an action against bureaucratism and waste of state property. Two groups of 5 people each, including the deputy to the general prosecutor of the Republic, have been executed by firing squad for theft and squandering of state property, while the general prosecutor was also dismissed and imprisoned. The total amount of losses incurred by the state through the criminal activity of only one of these groups reached 130 million wons. The majority of these criminal deeds were committed in the period of the retreat in 1951.

There is no question that the current action of purging the state and economic apparatuses is strengthening them, at the same time as it raises consciousness and activity of the masses.

The front has stabilized and currently the air force, which has recently changed its tactics (see note of 15.VII.), is especially active, striking massively and often effectively in a single place.

A difficult problem with which the DPRK government continues to struggle is transportation. The enemy knows that almost everything for the front needs to be transported from the north, and therefore he is trying to destroy the transportation system with exceptional fierceness. From time to time, the trains to Pyongyang are interrupted, but further to the south everything is transported by car or carried by people.

Exhaustion from the war is quite universal, even among the cadres there are illusions regarding talks about a truce. People would like to reach a break for even a short rest. The Workers’ Party is combating this kind of mood, because it discourages the nation.

The attitude toward the Soviet Union and the Countries of People’s Democracy is good, including also toward Poland. But among the broader masses Poland is less well known than the other countries of People’s Democracy, and this is because of the very broad assistance that the other countries of People’s Democracy are giving to fighting Korea.