Digital Archive International History Declassified digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org October 24, 1972 Note On a Conversation with the 1st Secretary of the USSR Embassy, Comrade Kurbatov, on 18 October 1972 in the GDR Embassy Citation: Note On a Conversation with the 1st Secretary of the USSR Embassy, Comrade Kurbatov, on 18 October 1972 in the GDR Embassy, October 24, 1972, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, PolA AA, MfAA, C 1080/78. Obtained by Bernd Schaefer and translated by Karen Riechert. http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/112277 Summary: Merten summarizes a conversation with the first Secretary of the USSR Embassy, regarding the DPRK's reaction to the West German visit to China, and North-South relations with an emphasis on Park Chung Hee's motivations to bolster his position in negotiating with the North. Credits: This document was made possible with support from the ROK Ministry of Unification. Original Language: German Contents: English Translation Korean Translation
GDR Embassy to DPRK Political Department Pyongyang, 24 October 1972 N o t e On a Conversation with the 1 st Secretary of the USSR Embassy, Comrade Kurbatov, on 18 October 1972 in the GDR Embassy At the beginning of our conversation, I informed Comrade Kurbatov about the stay of [West German Foreign Minster Walter] Scheel in Beijing and about Chinese positions toward the GDR and the policy of the community of socialist states in Europe. I also remarked that the Confidential Bulletin of the DPRK news agency devotes some attention to Scheel s visit to Beijing. Comrade Kurbatov asserted the Koreans take it for an irreversible fact that China will be recognized by capitalist states. In his opinion, the DPRK cadres were informed about all nuances of Scheel s talks in Beijing through the Confidential Bulletin. It is certainly anything but uninteresting that Foreign Minister Heo Dam [Ho Tam] stays in Beijing during the PRC visit of [Japanese Prime Minister] Tanaka as well as during the Scheel visit. As far as he [Kurbatov] knows, there are currently numerous West Germans in the DPRK for business reasons. Apparently the DPRK is interested to establish economic ties with West Germany. During the following course of conversation, we exchanged opinions about the declaration of emergency and the state of war in South Korea. Comrade Kurbatov noted that he can only voice his temporary opinion. Park Chung Hee is eager to solidify his position to lead the negotiations with the North from a position of the strongman. Kim Yeong-nam [Kim Yong Nam], 1 st Deputy Head of the International Department in the KWP Central Committee, said during a conversation that Pak Seong-cheol [Pak Song Chol] will actively join the talks with Lee Hu-rak and will not just be a listener. Pak Seong-cheol will exert pressure. Apparently the DPRK as well as the South do think that negotiations are only feasible from a position of strength. He [Kurbatov] thinks, the South Korean side will not abandon the concept to achieve unification on its own terms. The concept of unification has the attention of both the North and the South. The question is from which position the respective side begins with. South Korea is eager to implement unification from a capitalist angle. Like Kim Il Sung, Park Chung Hee has declared he views towards unification as a historic mission. Park Chung Hee will attempt to hold on to his position and win certain concessions from the DPRK. The emergency measures speak to that. The DPRK wants to move Park Chung Hee into a corner using the principles of the Joint Declaration. The DPRK s restraint after the declaration of martial law [in the South] demonstrated that it is still eager to continue the dialogue. The DPRK aims its demands at the abolition of anti-communist security laws and the creation of a democratic situation [in the South]. Kurbatov knows that Pak Seong-cheol asked Lee Hu-rak in a meeting why the anti-communist laws were not repealed. Lee Hu-rak responded that there are no communists in the South and their activities are restricted. The communists would come from the North. Therefore the laws are not directed against the South Korean population but against the intruders from the North. Park Chung Hee will attempt to repress the emotions of the people and strengthen his position. He will also try to build up South Korea economically. He will attempt to exploit the principles of the Joint Declaration for his own purposes. South Korea s efforts to establish relations with socialist countries show that the South Korean regime wants to be recognized as a state and have the realities of Korea acknowledged.
Comrade Kurbatov also informed about a meeting organized by the KWP Central Committee with comrades from the Soviet Embassy for the occasion of the 27 th Anniversary of the foundation of the KWP. Kim Yeong-nam, 1 st Deputy Head of the International Department in the KWP Central Committee, participated. Similar meetings were arranged by the Central Committee for the embassies of China, Vietnam and Cuba on different days and at different locations. Furthermore Comrade Kurbatov remarked that currently KWP party cells are studying a Red Letter from Kim Il Sung. There is not much known about its content except that it deals with questions of unification policy and ideological questions for the KWP, namely increasing implementation of the Juche ideology. Merten Embassy Counselor CC: 1x Foreign Ministry, Far Eastern Department 1x Central Committee, Department IV 1x Embassy, Political Department
조선민주주의인민공화국주재독일대사관 정치부 1972 년 10 월 24 일평양 대화에앞서나는쿠르바토프동지에게서독외무부장관발터셜이베이징에머물고있다는사실을말하고, 동독및유럽사회주의국가공동체에대한중국의입장에대해정보를주었다. 나는조선민주주의인민공화국의비밀회보를발행하는언론사가셜의베이징방문을주시하고있다는말을했다. 쿠프바토프는중국이자본주의국가들로부터인정받고있다는어쩔수없는사실을조선인이받아들여야한다고말했다. 그는조선민주주의인민공화국간부단이비밀회보를통해셜의베이징방문에관한모든정보를받았다고말했다. 외무부장관호탐이일본국무총리다나까의중국방문기간은물론셜의방문기간에도베이징에머물고있다는것은새삼스러운일이아니다. 쿠르바토프가알기로는현재조선민주주의인민공화국에도사업차수많은서독인들이머물고있다. 분명히조선민주주의인민공화국은서독과경제적연대를수립하는것에관심이있다. 대화중우리는남조선의계엄령에관한의견을나눴다. 쿠르바토프는간단한의견만을이야기했다. 박정희는강력한통치자로서북측과의협상을성공적으로이끌어내어그의위치를확고히하고자한다. 조선로동당중앙위원회국제부제 1 부부장김영남은대화중, 협상기간동안박승철이이후락과적극적으로대화에참여하며남측을압박할것이라는이야기를했다. 남조선뿐만아니라조선민주주의인민공화국역시유리한고지를점해야협상이가능하다고생각한다. 쿠르바토프는남조선이통일이라는패를버리지는않을것이라고생각한다. 통일은남북이모두집중하는화두이다. 문제는양대표단이어떤입장에서시작해야하는가이다. 남조선은자본주의를고수하며통일을이룩하고자한다. 김일성처럼박정희도통일이그의역사적사명임을선언한바있다. 박정희는그의입장을고수하면서조선민주주의인민공화국으로부터일정수준의양보를얻어내려한다. 긴급조치가이를말해준다. 조선민주주의인민공화국은박정희가공동선언의원칙으로인해궁지에몰리길바란다. 조선민주주의인민공화국이남조선의계엄령이후자제하는모습은여전히대화를원하고있다는것을증명하는것이다. 조선민주주의인민공화국의목적은남조선의반공법의폐지와민주주의정착이다. 쿠르바토프는박성철이회담중이후락에게반공법이왜폐지되지않는지를물었다고했다. 이후락은남조선에는공산주의자가없기때문에있어도의미없는법이기때문이라고대답했다. 공산주의자들은북에서부터오므로, 그법은남조선인민을위한것이아닌북측의침입자에대항하기위해서라는것이다. 박정희는인민의감정을억눌러자신의지위를강화하고자한다. 그역시남조선에경제성장을이룩하려한다. 그는공동성명의원칙을자신의목적에맞추어이용하려한다. 남조선이사회주의권국가들과국교를수립하고자노력하는것을보면남조선정부가국가로인정받고조선의상황을알리고싶어한다는것을알수있다. 쿠프바토프는또한조선로동당창당 27 주년을축하하기위해소련대사관동지들이참석한조선로동당중앙위원회회의에대한정보를제공했다. 이자리에는조선로동당국제부제 1 부부장김영남이참석했으며, 중앙위원회가주최하는비슷한회의가다른날다른장소에서중국, 베트남, 쿠바대사관을위해열렸다.
덧붙여쿠르바토프동지는현재조선로동당조직에서김일성기념일에대해서검토하고있다고했다. 이에대해통일정책과조선로동당의사상문제, 이른바주체사상의확립을다룬다는것외에는잘알려져있지않다. Merten 대사관참사관 CC: 외교부극동부 1 부. 중앙위원회제 4 부서 1 부. 대사관정치부 1 부.