Journal of Soviet Ambassador to the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 1 October 1960

FROM THE JOURNAL [faded USSR TOP SECRET

OF A. M. PUZANOV MFA stamp:   Copy Nº 1

02214-gs

20-24 October 1960

17 October 1960

Nº 169

[handwritten in the left margin: "DVO [Far East Department"]

JOURNAL

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

from 8 [SIC] through 14 October 1960

Pyongyang

1 October 1960

I took part in a reception at the Chinese Embassy on the occasion of the 11^th anniversary of the formation of the PRC. All members of the KWP CC Presidium headed by Kim Il Sung attended. Ambassador Qiao Xiaoguang and Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Choe Yong-geon gave welcoming speeches. In his speech the Chinese Ambassador especially stressed that the Chinese people are guided by three red banners in the building of a new life: the general line of the Party, the Great Leap Forward, and people's communes. The Ambassador said nothing with respect to the 15^th session of the UN General Assembly and the activity of the Soviet delegation and the delegations of the other socialist countries at this session.

A brief conversation was held with Kim Il Sung (they sat at one table).

I told Kim Il Sung that the Embassy had received a statement of the DPRK government from the MFA which spoke of complete support to the proposals made by the Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers Cde. N. S. Khrushchev at the 15^th session of the UN General Assembly. He expressed gratitude for the full and unanimous support of the Soviet proposals.

Kim Il Sung said, "The Korean people thank Cde. N. S. Khrushchev. His speech at the session was very good. All the proposals are correct, and we support them completely".

I noted that Korean peasants have a great holiday today inasmuch as a decree of the DPRK Cabinet of Ministers has been published in the press about writing off all obligations for deliveries in kind from agricultural cooperatives on the books as of September 1959 and all debts in monetary loans.

Yes, Kim Il Sung replied, this measure will allow an increase in the distribution to members of agricultural cooperatives for workdays. For example, in the province of South Pyongan the average distribution for workdays for one household is: 2.4-2.5 tons of grain and up to 300 won in money. As a whole the average distribution of grain throughout the republic per household will be up to two tons. Then Kim Il Sung said that the government had recommended conducting grain purchases from members of agricultural cooperatives after up to 400 kg per family member of the grain received for workdays is left for personal needs.

Kim Il Sung said that Cde. Pak Geum-cheol had informed him of the decision of the Soviet organizations about their request to send the technical documentation for the production of tool carriers, expressed appreciation for the favorable decision of the issue and the wishes expressed, and said that they will produce the T-16 tool carriers. They intend to send their specialists to the Soviet Union to consult for this purpose.

Kim Il Sung asked how much meat is produced per 100 hectares of land in the Soviet Union.

I answered Kim Il Sung that it is differentiated for each of the union republics, and in republics by oblast'. I said that if needed I can send him the materials the Embassy has on this issue.

Kim Il Sung expressed gratitude and said that these materials are used to determine the targets for the production of meat per unit of land area in Korean conditions (I sent [the information] on 3 October 1960).

In a conversation which took place Nam Il expressed great satisfaction with the organization in the Soviet Union of the familiarization of the Korean construction delegation with the experience of work in construction and the production of construction materials, and asked that gratitude be sent to Cde. V. A. Kucherenko, the Chairman of Gosstroy, and Cde. V. N. Novikov, Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers and Chairman of Gosplan, for the help given and the assistance in this matter. Nam Il also reported that Soviet Minister of Railways B. P. Beshchev was not seen off for his flight to Moscow by DPRK Minister of Railways only because he was out of town at that time (Hamhung) with some ministers of railways of the socialist countries (see the record of the 27 September 1960 conversation).

[…]

SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK [signature] (A. Puzanov)

Five copies sent re

1 - Cde. A. A. Gromyko

2 - Cde. Yu. V. Andropov

3 - Cde. V. I. Tugarinov

4 - UVPI MID SSSR

5 - to file

17 October 1960

Nº 489