PURGE OF HIGH NORTH KOREAN OFFICIALS AND CULTURAL LEADERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001500520010-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2002
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: June 15, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2005/06/06 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001500520010-7
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET/
SUBJECT Purge of High North Korean Officials
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PLACE ACQUIRED
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This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
15 June 1953
1. PAK Hon-yong was dismissed as North Korean Vice-Premier and Minister of Foreign
Affairs on 16 February. He was dismissed for using his South Korean Labor
Party (SKLP) faction to build up his own strength within the North Korean Labor
Party (NKLP . Members of the NFJP close to PAK were blamed for poor
results achieved by the underground and guerrillas in South Korea. When it
became apparent earlier in the war that the United. States rather than South
Korea was the principal opponent, North Korean Communist leaders had felt it
was unnecessary to keep PAK in a key position. This factor had contributed to
his dismissal.. North Korean leaders had also feared PAK would gain sufficient
strength to make a stand against the pro-Soviet oup in the NKLP. In mid-May
#'AK was being held in Kanggye (N .0-589 E 126-36) (BA-9837) where he was
forbidder) contact, with outsiders and was not permitted to take part in public
affairs.
2. CHU Yong-ha, former chief of the cabinet secretariat, was expelled from the
NKLP for "encouraging the native Communist group to stand against the pro-
Soviet group within the Party." CHU was publicly denounced by the NKLP as anti-
party and anti-national. In mid-May, CHU was being held in a detention room
of the Social Security Department in PIyongyang awaiting trial.
3. YI Sung-yop (2621/2110/9756) was removed from the instruction bureau of the
NIP sometime since early February 1953. In March CH0 Il-myong was removed
from his post as Vice-Minister of Culture and was later expelled from the Party.
Others expelled from the Part in March were YI T+ae-ch:un (2621/3141/0193),
KIM Nam-ch?on (6855/0589/1131) and poet IM Ewa (2651/0735), all of whom were also
expelled from the General. League of Literature. The latter three were dismissed
on charges of taking part In "factional activities within the Party and
liberalism. "
4. Shortly after CHU Yong-ha, YI T?ae-chun, KIM Nam-ich-on and CHO Il-myong were
dismissed, North Korean publications denounced them. However, no open
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criticism was directed at PAK Hon-yong because it was feared the publicity
might have an adverse affect on former members of the SKLP now in the NKLP.
5. The purge of both high and low level NKLP members who belong to the SKLP or
native Communist factions will be stepped up in 1953, with the movement to be
led by KIM I1-song's pro-Soviet group. The pro-Soviet group hopes to
consolidate its power.
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Approved For Release 2005/06/06 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001500520010-7