September 23, 1978
TELEGRAM 026.023 from the Romanian Embassy in Budapest to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This document was made possible with support from ROK Ministry of Unification
TELEGRAM 026.023
To: the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Comrade Vasile Sandru)
From: the Romanian Embassy in Budapest
Date: September 23rd, 1978
Classification: Secret
According to the statements of the ambassador of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jae-suk, no special elements have recently appeared in Korean-Japanese relations. Relations are carried on the basis of direct ties, established between different institutions of the two countries, in the economic and cultural domains, as well as at the level of mass organizations.
The Korean ambassador added that it could be noticed that the attitude of the Japanese government is more flexible about granting Korean residents the right to visit their relatives in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Regarding the matter of establishing diplomatic relations, the Korean ambassador said that the Japanese government continues to maintain its known position of conditioning the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Japan on similar steps undertaken by other socialist countries to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea. This wish basically represents the wish to maintain the separation of Korea, and represents the concept of the existence of two Koreas, which is unacceptable.
Japan also aims, and is being encouraged, to take the place of the American forces in case they are gradually withdrawn from South Korea. There are some cues in this sense, such as the participation of the Japanese armed forces, the so called defense forces, in joint American-South Korean-Japanese military drills.
The Korean ambassador added that their concern about the unification of Korea is incessant. In the speech offered by Comrade Kim Il Sung on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the proclamation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, new proposals were made regarding the withdrawal of the US forces from South Korea, cutting the support offered to the Park Chung Hee’s faction, which would allow the internal democratic forces to achieve the national desideratum, the unification of the country. Such conditions would offer an opportunity to negotiate not only with Japan but also with United States.
Signed
Victor Bolojan
Kim Jae-suk discusses North Korea's diplomatic relations with Japan, the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea, and the reunification issue.
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