Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A. M. Puzanov for 26 May 1958

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Copy Nº 1

USSR EMBASSY IN THE DPRK

Nº 112

30 May 1958

[faded stamp:

07238-gs

11 June 1958]

[MFA Far East

Department stamp:

Incoming Nº 01579

12 June 1958]

[handwriting: "To Cdes. [[two names illegible]]

Arrange with the Main Directorate of the

Civil Air Fleet about the crew for government aircraft]

JOURNAL

of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A. M. PUZANOV during the

period 13 May through 29 May 1958

[handwriting:

to Cde. Samsonov

for implementation.

N. Torbenkov]

Pyongyang

[…]

26 May 1958

I visited Kim Il Sung and at Moscow's instructions informed him about the results of the meeting between leaders of the Soviet government and the President of the United Arab Republic Gamal Abdel Nasser and the people accompanying him.

In the course of the information Kim Il Sung spoke approvingly to the position of the Soviet government during the talks. After it was reported that it had soon become clear to Nasser than the Soviet Union is not pursuing any selfish goals with respect to the United Arab Republic but had on the contrary turned out to be a loyal friend at a most difficult moment, Kim Il Sung noted, "This is very important". Touching on Nasser's statements against the existence of political parties in the OAR, Kim Il Sung said that "Nasser is afraid of Communists in his country".

Kim Il Sung reported that in the near future a DPRK delegation would go to Cairo to conclude a trade agreement with the UAR.

In the conversation which took place Kim Il Sung provided information about the situation in the country. Kim Il Sung said, industry is operating normally; in construction, after the decision of the KWP CC Plenum there is a certain turnaround and a use of reinforced concrete and prefabricated construction on a larger scale; in agriculture, the transplanting of rice seedlings is going on in a massive scale and about 30% of the areas intended for rice have been planted. This year the transplanting will be mainly done by 10 June instead of the usual 25-30 June. There are hot, dry days remaining, and a shortage of moisture for the winter wheat, barley, and late (May) corn crops is being observed. The main corn planting was done in April and they are developing normally. We are organizing crop watering at the present time. About 600 vehicles have been taken from the Army to transport water in order to help the agricultural cooperatives.

Kim Il Sung then said that right now they are preparing for a KWP CC Plenum at which the issues about improving trade and increasing the production of consumer goods will be discussed. Preparations are also being made for a session of the Supreme People's Assembly. The DPRK five-year economic plan will be discussed and approved at the session and in the name of the Korean people the session will adopt a letter of appreciation to the Chinese people and the Chinese people's volunteers for the help given in the war of liberation against the South Koreans and Americans. Speaking of the 7^th SKYu congress, Kim Il Sung declared that, "Members of the Korean Worker's Party are indignant at Tito and his incorrect behavior. We did not like him before and now, after the SKYu congress and the articles published in connection with this in our and Soviet newspapers and magazines, ever less so."

Kim Il Sung also reported that the MVD organs, with the active support of the population in Kaesong, Sariwon, and one of the districts of the province of North Hwanghae, have uncovered underground counterrevolutionary groups consisting primarily of former landowners and some workers deceived by enemy propaganda. Several hundred leaflets with slanderous statements against the DPRK were scattered at the Morabon [Theater] in Pyongyang in the last third of April. We feared that there would be similar leaflets during May and took some steps but there have been no leaflets in May. The authors of the leaflets have not yet been found but we have no doubt that they will be.

I thanked Kim Il Sung for the information.

Nam Il was present at the conversation.

[…]