Record of a Conversation between Soviet Embassy Counselor Petrov and former Editor of the Journal 'Novaya Koreya' Song Jin-hwa

Secret

Copy Nº 2

[USSR MFA Far:       

East Department  

stamp: SECRET 

Incoming Nº 192s

18 January 1956]

from the journal of

Counselor of Embassy

A. M. PETROV

RECORD OF A CONVERSATION

with SONG JIN-HWA, former editor of the journal "Novaya Koreya

[New Korea]" on 15 December 1955

[Song Jin-hwa] visited me at his own initiative. He informed me that a KWP CC KPK [Party Control Commission] decision had been reached. By this decision he had been expelled from the KWP and removed from work as editor of the journal "Novaya Koreya".

[Song Jin-hwa] listed for me the reasons for which he had been expelled from the Party and removed from work:

1. He had distorted the Party line in literature and opposed Han Seol-ya, intentionally not publishing his works in Russian, in particular, his novel Ted[e]ngan.

2. The journal Novaya Koreya was published at a low political level, particularly the January and August editions.

3. He had published the book by Kim Il Sung, "The Just Patriotic War of Liberation of the Korean People for Freedom and Independence" with many mistakes.

4. He, [Song Jin-hwa], had engaged in commerce during the Patriotic War. He had given memos to participants that they were employees of the editorial board and had been sent by him to buy agricultural products for workers of the editorial board.

5. He knew of the illegal machinations of Im Il-chan [sic], the manager of the editorial board, who sold more than two tons of paper worth 1,300,000 won on the market belonging to the editorial board. This sum went to cover illegal expenses (receptions, banquets, etc.). The manager kept a considerable amount for himself.

6. He illegally built a house, spending 160,000 won for this. The money for these purposes were obtained by selling the production of a subsidiary enterprise of the editorial board on the market.

7. Suppression of criticism and self-criticism. He, [Song Jin-hwa], had called the secretary of the primary KWP Party organization attached to the editorial board an anti-Soviet element for criticism of him, [Song Jin-hwa].

8. [Song Jin-hwa] had been accepted into the KWP in July 1954, but until recently he had not received a Party card in the Pyongyang City Committee and had not paid the membership dues.

In reply to my question, does he admit himself guilty of these accusations [Song Jin-hwa] replied that yes, in the main he admits his guilt.

[Song Jin-hwa] addressed a question to me, having Soviet citizenship, could he receive permission to go to the USSR.

I said to turn to the appropriate DPRK bodies in the usual procedure to receive the right to leave the DPRK.

COUNSELOR OF THE

SOVIET EMBASSSY IN

THE DPRK

[signature] (A. PETROV)

Four copies printed

1 - to  Cde. Fedorenko

2 - to Cde. Kurdyukov

3 - to Cde. Solodovnikov

4 - to file

Drafted by Petrov

Typed by Kondrat'yeva

Nº 33

4 January 1956