China and the Post-War Reconstruction of North Korea,1953-1961 NKIDP Working Paper #4 aid to North Korea.It analyzes the connections between Chinese aid and the Sino-North Korean political and diplomatic relationship,as well as how China's assistance affected the triangular relations between China,North Korea,and the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1961;i.e.from the honeymoon period of Sino-Soviet cooperation to the verge of the split that divided the communist camp,placing North Korea-which maintained a common border with both countries-in a precarious position. During the war,North Korean leader Kim Il Sung was already very much concerned with post-war reconstruction.Within days of signing the armistice,Kim approached the Soviet Union, a backstage player during the war,for economic aid.On 31 July 1953,Kim Il Sung sent a report to the Soviet ambassador in Pyeongyang [Pyongyang],describing the extent of war damage and the need for Soviet assistance to rehabilitate North Korea's economy.4 At the Sixth Plenum of the Korean Workers'Party(KWP)Central Committee(CC)on 5 August,Kim outlined North Korea's plan for post-war reconstruction.The new economic program would consist of three stages:a preparatory period of about six months to a year to assess the needs and make plans for reconstruction;a Three-Year Plan(1954-1956)to bring the economy up to pre-1950 levels;and a Five-Year Plan for the general industrialization of the entire country.5 In the end,the Soviet Union,China,East Germany,Poland,Czechoslovakia,Hungary,and other"fraternal countries" all contributed to North Korea's reconstruction.6 The post-war reconstruction of North Korea was a real division of labor for the Socialist camp,wholly consistent with the renewed interest in coordinating intra-bloc investments and trade policies.According to documents from the USSR 14Kim Il Sung to Soviet Ambassador Suzdalev,"General Report on Basic Reconstruction of Important Enterprises Relating to Heavy Industry,"31 July 1953,AVPRF,f.0102,Op.9,p.44,d.8,cited from Armstrong,"Fraternal Socialism,”163. 1s Kim I Sung,All for the Postwar Rehabilitation and Development of the National Economy(Pyongyang:Foreign Languages Publishing House,1961);Robert Scalapino and Chong-Sik Lee,Communism in Korea:The Movement (Berkeley:University of California Press,1972),528;Zhonggong zhongyang duiwai lianluobu bian,Jin Richeng wenji.1945-1967 [Selected Papers of Kim Il Sung](1982,unpublished),51-52. 16 Armstrong,"Fraternal Socialism,"163-64. 4 www.wilsoncenter.org/nkidpChina and the Post-War Reconstruction of North Korea, 1953-1961 NKIDP Working Paper #4 4 www.wilsoncenter.org/nkidp aid to North Korea. It analyzes the connections between Chinese aid and the Sino-North Korean political and diplomatic relationship, as well as how China’s assistance affected the triangular relations between China, North Korea, and the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1961; i.e. from the honeymoon period of Sino-Soviet cooperation to the verge of the split that divided the communist camp, placing North Korea—which maintained a common border with both countries—in a precarious position. During the war, North Korean leader Kim Il Sung was already very much concerned with post-war reconstruction. Within days of signing the armistice, Kim approached the Soviet Union, a backstage player during the war, for economic aid. On 31 July 1953, Kim Il Sung sent a report to the Soviet ambassador in Pyeongyang [Pyongyang], describing the extent of war damage and the need for Soviet assistance to rehabilitate North Korea’s economy.14 At the Sixth Plenum of the Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) Central Committee (CC) on 5 August, Kim outlined North Korea’s plan for post-war reconstruction. The new economic program would consist of three stages: a preparatory period of about six months to a year to assess the needs and make plans for reconstruction; a Three-Year Plan (1954-1956) to bring the economy up to pre-1950 levels; and a Five-Year Plan for the general industrialization of the entire country.15 In the end, the Soviet Union, China, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and other “fraternal countries” all contributed to North Korea’s reconstruction. 16 The post-war reconstruction of North Korea was a real division of labor for the Socialist camp, wholly consistent with the renewed interest in coordinating intra-bloc investments and trade policies. According to documents from the USSR 14 Kim Il Sung to Soviet Ambassador Suzdalev, “General Report on Basic Reconstruction of Important Enterprises Relating to Heavy Industry,” 31 July 1953, AVPRF, f. 0102, Op.9, p. 44, d. 8, cited from Armstrong, “Fraternal Socialism,” 163. 15 Kim Il Sung, All for the Postwar Rehabilitation and Development of the National Economy (Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1961); Robert Scalapino and Chong-Sik Lee, Communism in Korea: The Movement (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1972), 528; Zhonggong zhongyang duiwai lianluobu bian, Jin Richeng wenji, 1945-1967 [Selected Papers of Kim Il Sung] (1982, unpublished), 51-52. 16 Armstrong, “Fraternal Socialism,” 163-64