Cable from Hao Deqing, 'On The Talks between Pak Geum-cheol and Ambassador Hao'

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Cable Received by the Central International Liaison Department

Urgent

From the Korea Desk

ILD Received No. 1197

On The Talks between Pak Geum-cheol and Ambassador Hao [Deqing]

Central International Liaison Department:

On 7 December [1962] I had Zhao Yimin give the letter from the “Peace and Socialism” magazine and the two attachments to Pak Geum-cheol of the Korean Workers’ Party Central Committee. When I followed the instructions from the incoming cable tobriefly summarize the contents of the letter and explain and emphasize the last paragraph, Pak had no expression. [He] simply asked when the letter was sent.

Pak then talked about the party congresses in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia which have continued the attacks on China. The Premier [Kim Il Sung] and the Party Central Committee believe this behavior is not good and are prepared to oppose it. Minister Pak said that he already discussed this issue with me [Hao Deqing] yesterday. [Pak said] he received a cable from Vice Premier Ri Ju-yeon today, which asked for guidance on using the second speech (the one which opposed and criticized the CCP Central Committee). [Pak said] we have already approved, over the phone, Ri’s views. (At this point, Comrade Pak Yong-guk chimed in, [saying] that the phone line from Pyongyang to Moscow doesn’t have any problems, [but] he’s not sure about from Moscow to Prague.)

Pak also added that the Foreign Minister had already discuss the issue of the [North] Korean military visiting the Soviet Union. Today [he] would only say a few simple words about this. We [North Korea] did not take the initiative on what we wanted on the military side of things, but, prior to the Cuba issue [trans. note—the Cuban Missile Crisis], the Soviet Ambassador twice put forth to the Premier [Kim Il Sung] that our national defense forces should be strengthened. [The Soviet Ambassador] raised this with other comrades as well. We weighed whether his proposal was true or false. Afterwards, the Soviet Ambassador suddenly raised this issue again. At that point we put forth [the military issue] to them, and expressed that [we] could only receive gratis assistance and we cannot afford [to buy anything]. The Soviet Union agreed with this [proposal]. When the Korean military delegation arrived in the Soviet Union, their [the Soviets] attitude was not bad at the beginning, but in the end they used the phrase “use money to purchase.”

What intrigue the Soviet Union is engaged in, we are still trying to figure out. Originally, we guarded against their political goals, because they repeatedly raised [the issue] and promised free [aid]. So [we] went the delegation.

Pak then turned the conversation toward the Korean-Soviet trade talks and that the negotiations have gone on for fifty days. The Soviet Union is pressuring [us], but no matter how much pressure, we will never go down on our knees and beg. We prepared for this kind of pressure. Self-reliance is very important, and the Soviet Union is opposed to this. Recently they published a small pamphlet opposing [self-reliance], [but] no matter how they shout, we will still march down our own path.

Hao Deqing

8 December 1962

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