Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, on October 5 published a commentator’s article headlined “‘Diplomatic Relations’ bargained for Dollars”, which reads in full:
The course of advance of history is always attended with the process of rise and fall, changing of alignments of countries and nations. It includes chapters shining with reputation and honour and incidents marred by scandals and stains.
The Soviet Union, making a complete about-face in its stand, decided to establish “diplomatic ties” with south Korea this time, and this belongs to the latter category, we dare say.
According to foreign press reports, a “joint communique” on the decision to open “diplomatic relations” between the Soviet Union and south Korea was published in New York on September 30. There is nothing mysterious in this. It is just the realization of the rumours which had been constantly afloat. A cool scrutiny tells that the water has flown through its own course. Because, this establishment of “diplomatic relations” which smeared the reputation of the Soviet Union came at a time when the Soviet Union is going downhill to ruin, floundering in chaos and confusion in the vortex of “perestroika”.
At the Korean-Soviet foreign ministers’ talks in Pyongyang early in September, the Soviet side, explaining the “unavoidable circumstances” which forced it to decide to establish “diplomatic relations” with south Korea, emphasized passionately that the Soviet Union today is not that of the past days, but a completely “new state” and “new society”.
Through various channels in the later period, the Soviet side contended that its opening “diplomatic relations” with south Korea “proceeds from the interests of the Soviet Union” and, it being a question “to be decided by the Soviet Union itself, a sovereign state”, it needed no one’s “approval”.
To make the long story short, this meant that the Soviet Union today is not the Soviet Union of the past when it adhered to socialist internationalism but it has degenerated into a state of certain other character and, therefore, it found itself looking for “new friends” corresponding to that and it needed not to hesitate to encroach upon the interests of other countries, other nations and even the allies for its own interests. And, if it had made a promise to us on the question of its relations with south Korea, it is no longer valid now.
In a sense, this may be regarded rather as a frank confession.
However, as to its subterfuge, we think it necessary to say what we want to say and square accounts.
Only a few years ago, the top person in authority of the USSR himself said the Soviet Union would never change its principled stand towards south Korea.
The Soviet diplomatic chief also told us so not only once.
The DPRK-USSR joint communique published in December 1988 proclaimed that “the Soviet side confirmed no change in its principled stand towards south Korea” and that “it is not willing to officially recognize south Korea or establish political and diplomatic relations with south Korea”.
Today, the Soviet Union threw all these unequivocal commitments into the dustbin and decided to establish “diplomatic relations” with south Korea. Can this be described otherwise than as “betrayal”?
The Soviet Union has ignored and systematically violated the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance signed between the DPRK and the Soviet Union.
It talks about “recognition of the reality” and “change of the situation” in an attempt to justify its unseemly behaviour.
As far as the Soviet Union is concerned, it should share responsibility with the United States for dividing Korea by the 38th parallel after World War II and, at the same time, it was the first to recognize the DPRK as the only legitimate state of the Korean nation.
The Soviet Union’s establishment of “diplomatic relations” with south Korea means legally recognizing the existence of “two Koreas” in Korea, totally abandoning its commitments and committing separatist acts against the reunification of Korea, even though it uses the phrase of “recognition of the reality” as an excuse.
As for its argument about “change of the situation”, it is not the change of the situation but the change of the Soviet Union’s stand and viewpoint.
If the breach of the commitments by the Soviet Union resulted from a change of power as in some other countries, it would be understandable to some extent.
In case of the Soviet Union, however, it is quite different.
From the fact that those who had made commitments themselves now openly go back on their words, feigning innocence, we can see how much their moral value and standard of conscience measure.
In point of fact, in the Soviet Union the glorious history itself of the Soviet people’s hard struggle ever since the October Revolution is now denied and defined as “an era of darkness”. Such being the case, it matters nothing for them to discard the commitments they had made with us the other day.
When the establishment of “diplomatic relations” with south Korea by the Soviet Union is viewed from another angle, no matter what their subjective intentions may be, it, in the final analysis, cannot be construed otherwise than openly joining the United States in its basic strategy aimed at freezing the division of Korea into “two Koreas”, isolating us internationally and guiding us to “opening” and thus overthrowing the socialist system in our country.
Viewed from the present stand of the Soviet Union which makes it an unquestioned rule to avoid confrontation and establish “relations of companionship” between superpowers according to the “new mode of thinking”, there is nothing strange even if it were rewarded for its joining and cooperation with the United States in the latter’s “two Koreas” policy after betraying an old friend.
This means the formation of a US-Soviet Union-south Korea three-way collusion surrounding Korea and it will be a link in the chain of encirclement designed to disorganize socialism in Asia according to the “peaceful transition” strategy.
Reunification of divided countries today is an irresistible trend of the times. In Korea, too, the ardent desire of the people in the north and the south for reunification is running higher than before.
At this very juncture, the Soviet Union recognized south Korea as “a state” against the trend of the times and made a volte-face toward obstructing reunification and inciting division, claiming that “two states” exist in Korea. This cannot be interpreted otherwise than an intention to take joint steps with the United States.
Not only once have we warned that if the Soviet Union established “diplomatic relations” with south Korea, it would fundamentally run counter to Korea’s cause of reunification, increase the misfortunes and sufferings of the Korean people from national division, shatter the balance of forces, aggravate north-south confrontation and arms race and push the situation to the extreme pitch of strain on the Korean peninsula.
These warnings, however, fell on deaf ears.
As long as dominationist forces exist in the world such practices of trifling with the destiny of small countries and nations and victimizing them do not cease.
This is borne out by the barbarous US armed invasion of Panama in late 1989 right after the summit talks in Malta.
The establishment of “diplomatic relations” with south Korea by the Soviet Union cannot merely be regarded as confined to itself.
“Soviet-south Korean summit talks” were held in the United States in June last through the good offices of US President Bush and, as a direct extension of it, the establishment of “diplomatic relations” between the Soviet Union and south Korea was announced there on the US soil. This fact alone strongly suggests that it is an offspring of the Soviet-US collusion behind the curtain.
It is self-evident from this what the “new mode of thinking” and “ideology-free international relations” heatedly advocated by the Soviet Union imply.
They mean, in essence, making “friends” with Uncle Sam, meekly accepting whatever he demands and winning his favour in order to preserve peace.
Therefore, it may be said to be a natural logical outcome that the Soviet Union does not want to stand against the United States in support of its “ally,” the DPRK, concerning the Korean issue but tries to subordinate the DPRK to its strategic plan, hand in hand with its “companion”, the United States.
Other “unavoidable circumstances” which forced the Soviet Union to establish “diplomatic relations” with south Korea that was explained by the Soviet side in Pyongyang is that the Soviet Union has no alternative but to set up “diplomatic relations” with south Korea as its economy is totally ruined and faces a crisis now.
This reminds us of the old saying that a drowning man will catch at a straw. But, seeing such a thing really happen in this world, we feel even a sense of futility.
How it came to such a pass that the Soviet Union which had styled itself a superpower in the world brought the country to the brink of bankruptsy in five years of the “restructuring” policy and is today asking for south Korea’s assistance.
According to a report, coinciding with the news that the Soviet Union decided to establish “diplomatic relations” with south Korea, it was announced in Seoul that south Korea decided to grant “economic cooperation fund” to the tune of 2.3 billion dollars to the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union sold off the dignity and honour of a socialist power and the interests and faith of an ally for 2.3 billion dollars.
The Soviet beginners who are making painstaking efforts to acquire the basic knowledge of the method of capitalist economic management, while turning the socialist economy into a market economic system may feel satisfied, having learned that selling of an immaterial commodity, that is, the establishment of “diplomatic relations”, at a “high price” is a profitable capitalist dealing.
As everybody knows, morality or obligation are not worth a farthing in the capitalist dealings. There everything is dominated by the inexorable consideration of interest whereby each wants to remain alive at the sacrifice of the other.
Truth to tell, the whole course till the Soviet Union announced its establishment of “diplomatic relations” with south Korea is characterized by hypocrisy and betrayal urged by double-dealing tactics.
Today south Korea is not in a position to issue such a colossal sum of money. It is highly probable that it will come from the special fund of the US imperialists for disorganizing socialism.
When the Soviet Union started “perestroika”, we sincerely wished it success in rejuvenating socialism and the Soviet Union prosperity and development.
Still now we hope that the “perestroika” of the Soviet Union will bear good fruits.
To this end, it must rely on its own strength.
There is no change in the basic strategy of imperialism to overthrow socialist countries by means of military threats and blackmail, economic buying and subjugation and ideological and cultural disorganization.
A dignified and independent socialist country must naturally heighten vigilance against this and never get involved in the crafty disrupting moves of the imperialists, obsessed with dollars.
The global situation is, indeed, complicated and acute at present. “Reconciliation” between superpowers is said to bring detente to the international situation. But, on the contrary, it is shaking and aggravating the situation in some regions.
Although the changing alignment and tieup of great powers, each seeking its own interests, still have a great effect on the world, the world today is by no means ruled only by the will of the great powers.
The present is an era of independence.
No matter how serious the twists and turns may be, we will go our way to the end, making detour of whatever rocks that may crop up on the way.
History has not allowed and will not allow perfidy and betrayal, injustice and arbitrariness.
Our people will march forward, full of confidence in victory, without vacillation in any wind, under the unfurled banner of the Juche idea and defend their socialist position as an impregnable fortress and realize the cause of national reunification without fail.
― Korea Today, no. 11, November 1990, pp. 34-35.
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