Message from the President of the DPR Korea, Kim Il Sung, to the President of the [Socialist Federal] Republic [of Yugoslavia], Josip Broz Tito

(Translation)

Belgrade

To President of SFRY

Comrade Josip Broz Tito

Dear Comrade President,

I am expressing my respect to you, Comrade Josip Broz Tito, for your great efforts in ensuring the success of the Fifth Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, and I am sending you a warm, comradely greeting.

The governments of both of our countries are working closely on the advancement of the Non-Aligned Movement and, especially, on the preparations for the coming Summit in Colombo. This collaboration of our countries is actively contributing to the general cause of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Comrade Tito, I was honestly expecting to meet you again in Colombo and to continue the discussion we started in Ljubljana, as we planned, and I was preparing for that.

Unfortunately, I am obliged to let you know about the circumstances that are preventing me from fulfilling my wish.

Due to the tense situation that escalated in our country recently, I can’t participate at the Summit in Colombo and I am sending prime-minister Pak Seong-cheol [Pak Song Chol] as my deputy.

According to the information that we received recently, American imperialists and the puppet clique of south Korea are importing enormous amounts of the most modern weapons, grenades and ammunition from the US and Japan, while at the same time giving the American troops in south Korea and the south Korean army “the command of state of emergency”, and position 400 thousand soldiers fully ready for military operations in the area around the Military Demarcation Line.

This is the way in which the danger of a war breaking out is increasing every day.

The enemies could embark on an adventure once they reach a dead end in their own country, as well as outside of its borders, so we have to be ready for this possibility.

We are directly confronted, face to face, with the enemy, and this is often putting us in an unexpected situation.

Believing that you thoroughly understand our situation, I hope that you will collaborate fully with the delegation of our country on the Fifth Summit of the Non-Aligned.

Comrade Tito, I am especially asking you to put significant efforts that active measures that will express solidarity with the great cause of the Korean people to unify the Fatherland be adopted at this Conference.

Even though I can’t travel to Colombo personally, due to the circumstances that do not depend on me, I would ask you, dear Comrade Tito, to find some time to visit our country after the Summit.

Your visit to our country would be a great inspiration to our people to continue their fight for intensifying the great socialist construction and accelerating the independent and peaceful unification of the country.

Finally, I am expressing my belief that this Summit in Colombo will be a historical forum and that it will turn into a manifestation of great power for the Non-Aligned Movement, and in that turn, open up a new phase in the development of this movement. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you great health and even greater success in your noble work, Comrade Tito.

With my deepest respect,

President of People’s Democratic Republic of Korea

Kim Il Sung

Pyongyang,

August 1, 1976