North Korea is said to have started acknowledging the World War II and Korean War-era assistance of the USSR and China once again. Some Western literature is now available in the DPRK. And a flurry of construction projects have begun outside of Pyongyang.

Pak Yeong-bin reports to Ivanov about a recent meeting of Party members in Pyongyang. At this meeting Han Seol-ya and others took turns criticizing Soviet Koreans Pak Chang-ok, Pak Yeong-bin, Gi Seok-bok, Jeong Ryul, and Jeon Dong-hyuk for supporting reactionary literature and creating discord within the Party.

Nam Il reports to Ivanov the proceedings of the most recent KWP CC Presidium. Several Soviet Korean party members, active in the literature and propaganda fields, presented their self-criticisms at the meeting.

Pak Ui-wan tells Filatov about a conversation he had with Kim Il Sung regarding Pak Chang-ok, Pak Yeong-bin, and other Soviet Korean party members.

Pak says that while he himself has admitted to his mistakes and engaged in self-criticism, Pak Chang-ok continues to deny that he had engaged in factionalist, anti-Party activity. Pak Yeong-bin also describes several factors that may have played a role in the “The Further Strengthening of the Fight Against Reactionary Bourgeois Ideology in Literature” decision made by Kim Il Sung and the Presidium.

Pak reports on the recent KWP CC Presidium decision, “The Further Strengthening of the Fight Against Reactionary Bourgeois Ideology in Literature and Art,” which was directed at the alleged hostile factional activity of Soviet Koreans. Pak says that the persecution of Soviet Koreans is ungrounded, as they do not pose a threat to the Party, and that in fact, favoring members of the local “faction” over members of other backgrounds may undermine the Party’s integrity.

Ivanov speaks with Kim Il Sung about the proceedings of the most recent KWP CC plenum. The plenum touched upon plans to improve North Korea’s agriculture sector. Ivanov describes in length Kim’s accusation of Chinese and Soviet Korean party members of undermining the party leadership. Ivanov advises against categorizing party members as Soviet, Chinese, or local.

Nam Il tells Ivanov that Kim Il Sung is actively working to settle the issue of citizenship among Soviet Koreans in the party. Kim acknowledges that granting them citizenship could help ease relations between them and local Koreans. Nam insists that Kim does not believe that the Soviet Koreans are ill-intentioned.

DPRK Vice Premier Pak Ui-wan and Minister of Construction Kim Seung-hwa report to Ivanov about the KWP CC plenum decision to expel Pak Il-u and Kim Yeol from the party and the Central Committee. The conversation touches on the issue of a group of Soviet Korean members who have been accused of supporting anti-Party reactionary writers.

Jeong Ryul expresses his concern regarding the challenges of the Korean artists and culture teams stemming from the food shortages in the DPRK.