Message from the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the President of the People's Republic of Korea, Kim Il Sung, to the President of the [SF] Republic [of Yugoslavia], Josip Broz Tito.

Pyongyang, June 15, 1978

Esteemed Comrade Josip Broz Tito,

Greatly satisfied with the relations of friendship and cooperation between our two Parties, Governments and peoples developing very favourably in many fields, I would like to send you my warm fraternal greetings.

I have received with thanks the personal message you sent in April last.

Comrade Tito expressed full support and sympathy for our Party’s new proposal to accelerate the solution of the question of Korean reunification and conducted positive activities to materialize our proposal during your visit to the United States, for which I express my deep thanks to you.

Through your kind information I have come to be better acquainted with the position of the United States on Korean question.

The problem of holding a talk at low level among us, the United States and south Korea, which was mentioned in your reply message, has drawn our attention.

We are satisfied and grateful for it, because we think you have made such proposal proceeding from the desire to see the question of Korean reunification solved peacefully through negotiation. Therefore we discussed this problem seriously.

We assessed that your proposal constitutes one of the good ways and methods to tide over the present difficulties lying in the way of our national reunification.

So, it is by no means bad a thing for us to have contacts and dialogues with the United States even through tripartite talks, we think.

But problems is that the democratic figures and the revolutionary forces in south Korea are opposing the immediate holding of the tripartite talks under prevailing conditions in south Korea.

They maintain that if we accede to the talks, it will save Pak Jung Hi [sic; Park Chung Hee] from a dilemma and egg him onto intensifying the suppression of the patriotic people and the democratic forces.

They also say that in the case of holding such talks they must alone participate in it on behalf of south Korea.

Under this circumstances [sic], we are going to continuously discuss in the future with the south Korean democratic forces over the way of bringing the tripartite talks to a success.

We are considering that for the realization of the tripartite talks, the detained political prisoners should be released and banned political parties be legalized in south Korea.

We will let you know our policy on this matter upon its adoption.

The United States, Japan and the south Korean authorities are now committing more craftly “two Koreas” plot. Therefore it is important for us not to be involved in it.

As a matter of fact, the moves of the splittists are ominous.

It is the case with the problem of the US troops withdrawal.

As you know, of late, the United States said that it would change even what it calls troops pull out plan it has already made public [sic].

And it is expediting the plan of arms reinforcement continuously behind the curtain of the “troops pull out”.

We are convinced that the Yugoslav Communists and people will sharpen vigilance against the “two Koreas” plot of the splittists and continue to express active support to and firm solidarity with our people in their struggle for national reunification.

Expressing my conviction that the good relations of friendship and cooperation between our two Parties and peoples will expand develop without letup on the principle of independence, I sincerely wish you good health as well as great successes in your work.

Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

KIM IL SUNG

General Secretary

Central Committee

Workers’ Party of Korea

President

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea