Soviet-Korean Relations before of and during the War of 1950-1953
Based on the developments in Russian historiography on the topic, new archival documents and materials found in the Foundation of the well-known state and public figure of the USSR V. Molotov (RGASPI), the author set out to reveal the activities of the highest bodies of state power and government of the USSR and DPRK, statesmen. They oversaw these relationships at that difficult time in the regions of the Far East. The events took place mainly during the war (1950-1953), unleashed by the United States on the territory of the Korean Peninsula. Of course, the DPRK as a young state needed support and assistance primarily from the Soviet Union as its closest neighbor, with its social system and economic structure. In this situation, at first the relations between the leaders of states that showed a certain interest in each other played an important role in the intercourse between states. All undertakings of this process were interrupted by a war for a period of more than three years. However, even in these conditions, the development of relations between North Korea (DPRK) and the USSR has not stopped. At a new stage in these relations, which was a natural phenomenon, the military component was noticeably strengthened. The situation was determined by the military situation in the DPRK. More than 400 specialists, mainly Soviet Koreans, the elite of the Korean community in the USSR, as well as groups of workers; according to some sources, in total more than one thousand people went to the DPRK with the aim of assisting in organizing the state administration apparatus and developing the branches of the national economy. The Soviet Union acted as the basis for training young specialists for the DPRK. The USSR also sent military advisers. The leadership of these undertakings was concentrated in the SNK of the USSR. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, as well as the structures of the SNK (Council of Ministers) of the USSR that he headed, made a noticeable contribution to the implementation of the planned measures. In the context of modern international processes, study of the establishment and improvement of relations between states is gaining importance.