Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 16 August 1957

SOVIET EMBASSY IN THE DPRK TOP SECRET

Nº 196 Copy Nº 1

31 August 1957

[handwritten: 010343-gs

[[11]] September [[5]]7]

[stamp:

Incoming 02416-s;

11/12 September 1957]

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

for the period 16 through 30 August 1957

Pyongyang

SECRET

16 August 1957

I visited the stadium. Various sporting events were held on the occasion of the anniversary of the liberation. I was invited into the leadership's box. Cdes. Kim Il Sung, Choe Yong-geon [Choe Yong Gon], Jeong Il-yong, and other KWP and government leaders were [there].

Kim Il Sung informed [me] that the first day of the celebration, the 15^th of August, went well. There were no incidents in the country or on the borders. Pak Jeong-ae [Pak Jong Ae] and Ri Jeong-ok left today to meet with voters and Kim Il and Jeong Il-yong are leaving on 17-18 August.

Talking with his comrades about the development of physical culture, Kim Il Sung said that the necessary number of coaches need to be invited from the Soviet Union so they can help our athletes and share experience with DPRK coaches.

I informed Kim Il Sung that a team of masters [of sport] from the Spartak soccer team (Minsk) will arrive in the DPRK in October of this year for friendly games.

Kim Il Sung said that Kim Il, who is in Moscow with a draft of the five-year plan, met a genuine desire and striving of the Soviet people and Soviet leaders here, there, and everywhere to help the DPRK in every way to develop the country's economy. The consultation work was well organized. The treatment was excellent. Kim Il Sung then said that they are thinking of introducing the necessary changes in the draft of the plan in accordance with the recommendations of the Soviet friends, and during this time Kim Il is to meet with voters and several days later Kim Il can go to the PRC with the plan changes.

Inasmuch as this was said half in the form of a question, I noted for my part that Kim Il Sung had correctly expressed the opinion that the main changes of the plan's draft ought to be made before the trip to China.

x x x

Together with Bulgarian Ambassador Tsolo Krystev Kamenov we organized the showing in our school of the film "Urok Istorii [The Lesson of History]" for all Embassy officials. Ambassadors and chargés d'affaires had a good reaction to the picture and remained satisfied with the organizing of the showing.

Knowing that the Chinese ambassador is very interested in Moscow's reactions and comments about the draft of the DPRK five-year plan I invited Ambassador Qiao Xiaoguang to my place for lunch on Tuesday, 20 August, during which Counsellor Makarov informed the Ambassador about the results of the consultation concerning the draft of the plan.

Qiao Xiaoguang expressed a great desire to familiarize himself with the nature of the comments and suggestions of the Soviet comrades about the draft of the DPRK five-year plan and thanked [us] for the meeting [we] proposed.

[…]

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 527

31 August 1957