Romanian official in the US warns Bucharest that relaying the letter from the DPRK to US public officials in the manner requested by Pyongyang may damage Romanian relations with the US. The official recommends a more normal procedure recommended to him by US officials and suggests convincing the North Koreans to follow a different method of sending its message to US congress.
May 5, 1973
Telegram from the First Directorate to Washington, DC, No.01/04493
This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation
Comrade Ambassador,
We would like to inform you that the DPRK government officially requested that an authorized Romanian representative relay to the President of the US Senate, Spiro T. Agnew, and separately, the Speaker of the House, Carl Albert, the letter adopted by the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly on April 6, 1973, which deals with the issue of ceasing foreign interference in the internal affairs of Korea.
The DPRK government mentioned that if the letter could not be sent to the aforementioned officials, it must not be sent to any other people without the prior consent of the North Koreans.
On the basis of the approval granted by the party leadership, we informed the DPRK government of our agreement to take the actions [indicated by the DPRK] and it was established that the letter be sent by you.
Consequently, we would like to ask you to take any measures you deem appropriate to send the letter to the abovementioned officials, in the right circumstances.
Please inform us as soon as possible about the measures you took and about the potential commentaries and reactions of the two American interlocutors.
You will receive the two letters through the courier who will leave Bucharest on May 9th.
We would like to inform you that the abovementioned letter was published in the North Korean press on April 7th 1973, and encompasses the following ideas:
- The beginning in 1971 of the North-South dialogue; the release of the Joint Declaration on July 4, 1972; the high-level meetings and the establishment of the North-South Coordinating Committee;
- The stalemate of the North-South dialogue caused by the unwillingness of the South to accept the DPRK proposals, the obstacles created by the United States, the maintenance of American troops in South Korea, the modernization of the South Korean armed forces, the military maneuvers and the war provocations carried out by Americans in Korea.
- It is requested that: the US withdraw its troops from South Korea; the UN Commission for the Unification and Reconstruction of Korea be dismantled; military aid for South Korea be terminated; military maneuvers, provocations and war preparations in Korea be stopped.
Signed:
Nicolae Ghenea
North Korea asks Romania to forward a letter to the president of the US Senate, Spiro T. Agnew, and separately, the Speaker of the House, Carl Albert. The letter, adopted by the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly, will request the US to withdraw its forces from the Korean Peninsula, terminate military aid to South Korea, and dismantle the UN Commission for the Unification and Reconstruction of Korea.
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Source
Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archives, Matter 210, 1973, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Secret, MFA, Folder no. 1495. Obtained and translated for NKIDP by Eliza Gheorghe.
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2012-05-17
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Leon Levy Foundation