Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 27 May 1957

SOVIET EMBASSY IN THE DPRK TOP SECRET

Nº 133 Copy Nº 2

31 May 1957

[partial image of a stamp:

[[TOP]] SECRET

Incoming Nº 5925-gs

11 June 1957]

[USSR MFA Stamp:

Far East Department

Secret

Incoming Nº 01490s

12 June 1957]

The Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A. M. PUZANOV

for the period 6 through 29 May 1957

Pyongyang

[…]

27 May 1957

I visited Nam Il at his invitation.

Nam Il reported that a meeting of the KWP CC Presidium had been held today at which the issue of holding elections to the Supreme People's Assembly had been examined and decided.

The elections have been set for Tuesday, 27 August 1957. Unlike the 1948 elections when deputies to the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly were elected from the population of north and south Korea, it was considered advisable to hold these elections for deputies only from the population of North Korea. Kim Du-bong made another type of suggestion about this issue at the meeting. He proposed holding elections for deputies to the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly in the same way as was done in 1948, that is, hold elections from the population of North Korea and from the population of South Korea. Kim Il Sung and three other Presidium members who did not agree with Kim Du-bong spoke about this suggestion. They pointed out that it was necessary to take into account the actual situation in Korea when there are two republics on its territory, and accordingly two governments. Holding elections to the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly from South Korea, too, would complicate work to unify Korea on a peaceful democratic basis and such elections would also not be understood. Kim Du-bong agreed with the arguments of the Presidium members who spoke and a final decision was unanimously adopted.

Nam Il also passed a list of senior DPRK officials who by decision of the KWP CC need to be sent to the Soviet Union for treatment in connection with the offer on this issue received from the CPSU CC. These officials include:

Pak Jeong-ae [Pak Jong Ae] - Deputy Chairman of the KWP CC,

Jeong Il-yong - Deputy Premier,

Ri Ju-yeon - Minister of Finance,

Ri Dong-yong - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Kim Man-geum - Chairman of the Party Provincial Committee

  of the province of South Pyongyang.

Ha Ang-cheon - Chief of a KWP CC department,

Li Hong Yong [sic] - Deputy Chief of the KDOF [Translator's note:   possibly "Korean Democratic Fatherland

       Front"] Secretariat and member of the CC

  of the Democratic Party of North Korea

The above people will go to the USSR between 20 and 25 June. A second group of officials will be sent to the USSR after elections to the Supreme People's Assembly are held.

I informed Nam Il about an offer which had been received to find out when our delegation of journalists which the head of the delegation of Korean journalists invited while in the USSR last year might visit the DPRK. Nam Il said that they express their deep satisfaction on this score that the group of Soviet journalists might come in any number, but it is desirable that no less than five come at any time convenient to them to spend one or two months in the DPRK. However, in connection with the fact that the KWP CC Presidium has made a decision to hold elections to the Supreme People's Assembly on 27 August it would be desirable for the journalists to be in the DPRK during this period.

[…]

SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK

[signature]   (A. PUZANOV)

Five copies printed:

1 - Cde. Gromyko

2 - Cde. Fedorenko

3 - Cde. Kurdyukov

4 - Cde. Solodovnikov

5 - to file

Nº 353

31 May 1957