MINING OF TANTALUM, BERYLL[ ], AND [ ]ITS IN NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R007900370005-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 27, 2001
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 9, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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, Approved Fora44400.1001/112/0161,.01' -7.0g R82100457R007915070605
ial INFORMATION REPORT CD NO. 25X1A
eoc-u-
C)UJTkVXorea
DATE MTh% 9 AUG 51
SUBJECT mining of TantaluM, BerylliWIRPRWAhii,te in
OF PAGES
North Korea
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
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25X1C
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT 7 25X1X
REPORT NO
o In June 19489 the North Korean government set up a national office
the Tan Nok (Tantalum)( 4 f4L ) rine,* under the Ministry of Indus,
The office engaged in enploivation of tantalum in the second district, Hakea-
ri (127-26, 38-15), Kurhwa-evon (127-23, 38-1e), Kumhwa County, Kangwon. The
mining methods used were to dynamite quartz from the mountains and then crush
the quartz recL in order to extract the particles of tantalum from the bre;eez
surfaces. According "be a technician engaged in the work, the tantalum was
very fine, and 500 workers could extract only two or three matchboxes full*in a 15-day period.
2. The entire output of the mine was carried by the manager of the mining
office in person to the office of the ntnistry of Industry in Pyongyane,
The tantalum was reported to be valued at vevera1 hundred thousand North
Korean won per kilogram. The miners believed that their entire production
was exported to the US3R,
3. In nay 1950, in response to a directive from the Ministry of Industry, the
mine suddenly suspended its operations on tantalum. It continued to be
called the Tantalum nine, hut the office explcined to the mine workers that
it would now exploit beryllium,*** -which was important for the manufacture
of atomic bombs. 'lining operations were initiated in the mountainous areas
of Kaemja-ri (14 AV 1), '.-eennam-myon (127-33, 33-18)1 Kumhwa County; Tare)%-
ni ( 7v 4 ), Sangso-myon (127-381? 33-12), Hwaehon County; and Chadung-ni
(127-257 U-03), 3e-myon (127-25, 33-09), Eurnhwa County. The quantities of
beryllium at these sites and in other portions of Rangwon Province is con-
sidered inexhaustible.
4. At each of these sites, a:3mi three times as many workers were eeployed as
had been engaged in tantaluel exploitatien. Local North Korean Labor Party
cells drafted the poorer ferners forcite]y to work io the mines. At Taree%-ni
there were about 15,000 workers daily, over a thousand at Chadung-ni, and
over 5,000 at Kaemja-rt. Aepraximately fifty administrative personnel 'ere
attached to each mine.
5. The method of extracting beryllium was similar to that used for ta-atalura:
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the mountain sides were dynanited and the chunks of rock thus dt-.,?10d:ed were
collected. In this case, however's no breaking up of chunks rag undertaken,
but the rocks as they appeared after dynamitino? were collected and place0, in
straw bag's. All production vras, shipped to ',:lyongyang daily, and workers were
therefore unable to form an estimate of the amount of material actually hand3.ed.
The beryllium was valued at 900 North icorean won per kilooromolH;-g--g.
6,, In order to mite oroductionvowerkers at the mines .worf::id dfiKei 1-rage plus
. .
Imus for overtimie and i o large. output.. The average wage was 1500 North Korean
wonykil* per -raonth? and in addition rker ere ven adovate quantities of
rice and other necessities. for Iirinc.
7. Operation of the Iii 41 mines continued unintorruoted elrm by UN air raids.
.7orkers were forcibly mobilized for the iainos after the air raids coo.. enced2
and production stopped only hen the UN forces were about to capture the L'rea.
.,Tcploitation of monazite deposits was carried on th 'Oouth j'yongan i'rovince in
Taeciong County (aoproximatel,y 125-442 39-11) and on the .ALrion :River (125-2,12
39.42), in l'iwanonae 'rovince in binchon County (approxinately 125-22, ?3c25)
Anak County (aoproximately 125-260 33-35), ChariaTOn County (aporoximatcoir
125-17, 33-07) :onot-unoo (1224-47? 33-li)s L,ono-hwa. CoorrV (ao,?,)oDxio,ately
1.5-122 33-13)2 and UL.yul County (approximately 125-16, 33-22); and in north
Pyongan Province in Cholsan County (approximately 124-40, 39445), Ciju (122o-32,,
143-12) .Tasado (1224-56, 3-i), rlansi (12544, 39-53), arpi (124-239
Kan Erzre (126-361 )4,o-53) Yongbyon County (approximately 125-560 40-03),17yol..iyanc;-
sari (126432 39-53), Taechon. County (approximately 125-25, 39)) s and Un Sart
County (approximately- 125-52, .40-06). The most productive region was Cholsen
County, but supplies of monazite,sand are eaid to be inoxhaustiblo on almost
all rivers in North Korea.
2 . roe method of exploitation was for all farmers and laborers, malo and female,
in a given area to be mobilizod at a selected site? on a river and work the
;and in the area,. Three methods of handling .ere used: sifting the dry sand
through rouril sievez; pouring wet sand through cloth So that the water drained.
out and the sand remained; and using motors for water cleaning,. The most
commonly eMoloyed method was the first. Li addition to the nobiLizaf: labor,
personnel from North Korean :labor Party groups and social and. political organi-
zations oathered in various localities and worked over monazite oand.i:-=k*it-m?
For example, a desioaated nunber of the people of 0unan would az:leiTable daily
and work until .they had acouralated a set quantity of monozit. Theee labor
oarties and the regular exploitation co:Ali-wed from ear1or 19L9 until the end
of August 19502 when the work was ztopped because of UN air raids.
le. The general headquarters for monazite e:ooloitation Was t,ne :ialino Control
Llureau of the ..Cinistry of industry, :.',Aankoro-ri, P000noyaoo. It wan. formed
in 12242 as a direct responsibility of LE.: Ch7aelz.., then Einister of 1-1.-,dustry
The number of laborers and the amount of production under tl-dos boa,'eau are un-
*mown because of the general oorticipation in monazite work,, All monazite.
products Were packed in strao? or hemp bags, of 40 kilograms each, and ex-
ported to the 1.1301i, some by plane (from Pyongyang), some by ship froo,onzan
and. .0honojin? it was estimated that aporoisinatoly 2?600s0oo of
monazite were shipoed to ti-.?c? tifC5R during 1910 and 1250. An ao,reement was
believed to have been made with the USSR at the end of 19243 that the North
Koreans would receive tanks (at what rate of compensation was uziaaoom) in
return for the monazite. EI l 0hIaeLl:, who was one of the North Korean earth
which concluded the agreement in 1:oscow2 returned to r:oontiorang in early. 12242,
and LOU 3oviet tanks arrived from the "1,73:1."?. at the end of It'ebrut:u-y. Those were
fomod into the 105 Tank Troop at Lansa-ri, Pyoncyang?
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25X1A *wk* 1111.11.paramopt: The rate
north Korean won '5CA:03'0.
, -
1950 Tlar 11413 alvroximate TJ,F,., dollar
25X1A ***
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Thit, intensive, nonazite productdon ,,rocran Involved
eon31c1eraJocroups and was strorrly urged by north KOrnall Cavern-
raent on all comunitios.
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25X1A Corr-tont: A kwan is 3?75ki1orar,.
:bONFIDENTIAT.,_1_
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