TELEGRAM 066.982 from the Romanian Embassy in Pyongyang to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

TELEGRAM 066.982

To: the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Comrade Constantin Oancea, Vasile Sandru, Marcel Dinu)

From: the Romanian Embassy in Pyongyang

Date: November 2^nd, 1978

Classification: Secret

Throughout 1978 there was no progress in Korean-Japanese relations as a result of the harsh and sometimes hostile attitude adopted by the Japanese government towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on the Korean problem in general.

As public materials and the recent conversation of Victor Nanu and Necula Coilogut with Ha Sang-cheol [sic] a specialist on Japan in the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan continues its hostile policy towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – it actively supports the cross-recognition of the two Koreas, their separate admission to the UN, undertakes actions for the permanent division of Korea, for the maintenance of the balance of forces in Korea, provides material and political support to South Korea.

All these represent a big hurdle for the process of normalizing Korean-Japanese relations, [and] establishing diplomatic relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Japan.

Ha Sang-cheol [sic] said that given that the Japanese government promoted a hostile policy towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Korean government did not wish to normalize relations with Japan; this problem could be discussed only after the reunification of Korea.

At the same time we noticed that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea intensely tried to maintain and develop its relations with Japan and the ties with the Korean residents in Japan, on a non-governmental basis. As a result of the relentless activity of the Korean government, during the first ten months of 1978, 30 Japanese delegations visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in addition to two delegations of the Communist Party in Japan, a delegation of the parliamentary association for the development of friendly ties between Korea and Japan, commercial delegations, co-nationals’ delegations.

In the 10 months of the current year, four Korean delegations visited Japan, such as the labor union delegation and the delegation of the Workers’ Union of the Socialist Youth.

A sustained activity is being conducted in Japan by a series of civic organizations and bodies, such as: the Juche Ideology Study Group, the Japanese committee of solidarity with the fight for the peaceful and independent unification of Korea, the League for promoting Japanese-Korean friendly ties, the Japanese-Korean association for cultural exchange etc. which have a loyal attitude towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and support the position of the Korean government on different issues.

As the Korean diplomat shows, the delegations exchanges, the mentioned bodies and organizations, and the sustained activity of the General Associations of the Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryeon), have the purpose of developing and consolidating the Korean-Japanese friendship, the collaboration at different levels, on a governmental level, the promotion of the position of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and of the peaceful and independent unification of Korea to the Japanese public, and the assurance and support for the legal rights of the Chongryeon association, defending the national and democratic rights of Korean citizens in Japan.

As public materials show, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea supports such activities, seeing them as efficient opportunities and methods to maintain contacts and take action to create a current of opinion within the community of Korean residents in Japan favorable supporting the reunification of Korea, to determine a change in the policies of the Japanese government towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or at least an improvement, for normalizing Korean-Japanese rapports.

Because of Japan’s attitude towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Korean authorities encounter many difficulties: the visits of delegations are generally unilateral, the Japanese government does not allow the entrance of certain delegations and Korean figures; the delegations of the Korean Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee, the committee for cultural relations with the foreign countries, the democratic front for the reunification of Korea etc. were not given visas. When delegations’ visits in Japan are allowed, contacting Korean residents and conducting political activity are forbidden, and it is requested that the duration of the visit be as short as possible.

Referring to the mentioned difficulties, Ha Sang-cheol [sic] said that “we were not discouraged, we don’t kneel in front of the governors from Tokyo.

The actions and the position of the Japanese government are condemned by the international public opinion.

We will continue to allow the Japanese delegations to visit our country.”

Given the current situation in the region, the  Korean official added, “the friendly relations between Japan, the US, and South Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is not expecting an improvement of the rapports with Japan.

In conclusion, the embassy believes that Korean-Japanese relations at the non-governmental level, with all the known difficulties, are conducted in satisfactory conditions. Delegations of Korean residents from Japan, Japanese delegations from different fields of activity including trade are almost constantly in Pyongyang.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is well organized, and has a great influence among the general associations of Korean residents in Japan – Chongryeon, has good relations and prestige among many influent Japanese figures with important positions in Parliament , Government etc.  Only this explains the large volume of Korean-Japanese trade which the Korean authorities avoid to talk about. (The total volume of forecasted trade for 1977 amounted to 400 million US dollars, according to some unofficial sources.)

In this context, we would like to mention that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea funds the tuition of Korean pupils and students who live in Japan. From 1957 until now, the amounts remitted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Chongryeon for education exceed 25 million yens.

Even though an improvement in Korean-Japanese rapport is not foreseen, we notice that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is conducting a sustained activity for normalizing, in perspective, the relations between the two countries. Compared with the previous period, we notice a certain change in the official position of Japan regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Japanese authorities’ approval of the organization of the Scientific Conference on the Juche ideology in Tokyo in October, is significant in this respect.

We believe that the relatively harsh attitude of the Korean government towards Japan is caused by its position on the Korean question; if Japan changed its point of view on the Korean question, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would take more resolute actions for normalizing relations with Japan.

In this respect, the fact that Japan is not interested in starting a military conflict on the Korean peninsula and that it does not want nuclear weapons to exist in the area must also be taken into account.

On economic issues, [Japan] is interested in having good relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, where it can find a good marketplace for Japanese goods.

Even though until the end of the year a series of important American-Japanese-South Korean contacts are to be taking place, such as the visit of the American State Secretary [sic] [Harold] Brown to Seoul and Tokyo, the visit of the Prime-Minister Fukuda to Seoul etc., we believe  that in the near future there will not be [any] substantial modifications regarding the relations between  the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Japan.

Signed

Paul Marinescu