Mao and Kim Il
Sung Agree on
the War Plan
After the
Mao-Stalin meeting. The
Stalin-Kim Il Sung
meeting took place
in April 1950
in Moscow. In
this meeting Stalin,
noting that the
international situation was
changing in their
favor, agreed to
the modified preemptive
attack plan which
Kim Il Sung
proposed as the
means for the
unification of the
Korean Peninsula. They
also agreed that
a final decision
should be reached
jointly by Communist
China and North
Korea, and if
China showed any
negative views on
it, the decision
would be deferred
until they reach
a new agreement.
Complying with
this agreement, Kim Il Sung,
accompanied by Pak
Heun Yung, visited
Mao in person,
and the North
Korea-Communist China conference
took place in
Peking. The following
was what Kim
Il Sung Planned
to do at
this conference.
(1) To
inform the Chinese
Communists of the
intention to achieve
unification by force, and explain about his meeting with Stalin in
Moscow
unification by force, and explain about his meeting with Stalin in
Moscow
(2) To
exchange views on
signing of a
trade agreement. Kim
would
propose the signing of the trade agreement in the near future, but
contract the friendship treaty after the unification.
propose the signing of the trade agreement in the near future, but
contract the friendship treaty after the unification.
(3) To
inform them of
the other issues
discussed at the
Moscow
conference, and establish close relationships between the Central
Committee the North Labor Party and that of the Chinese
Communist Party.
conference, and establish close relationships between the Central
Committee the North Labor Party and that of the Chinese
Communist Party.
Mao was
informed late on May
13 by
Kim Il Sung
of the Moscow
meeting in which
the invasion plan
had been discussed.
However, Mao, wishing
to hear Stalin’s
personal explanation on
it, asked the
Soviet government through
N.V. Roschin, the
Soviet ambassador in Peking. The next
day, Stalin sent
him the following
telegram reply.
Dear
Comrade Mao:
During the
conference with the
comrades of North
Korea, Filippov [Stalin]
and his close
staff members agreed
to the proposal
that as the
international situation has
changed, they would
set to the
north-south unification task.
This issue, however,
must be agreed
upon in advance
between North Korea
and Chinese comrades.
In case the
two sides show
different opinions on
this issue, it
must be deferred
until both sides
discuss its solution.
As for the
contents of the
conference, the North
Korea side will
explain them to
you in detail.
Filippov
[Stalin]
On May 14
Mao received the
above telegram and
the message which
contained the contents
of the Kim-Stalin
conference from the
Soviet ambassador to
Peking. Mao, then,
held a conference
in which he
said he shared
the same opinion
with North Korea
about North Korea’s
decisions on the
North and South
Korea situation, and
the comparison and
analysis of the
military power of
both Seoul and
P’yongyang. He also
proposed to establish
the Korea-China Friendship
Alliance and the
Mutual Assistance Treaty,
following the model
of the Sino-Soviet
Treaty, but only
after the unification.
On May 15
in the meeting
that followed, Mao
exchanged views with
Kim Il Sung
and Pak Heun
Yung in detail
about North Korea’s
plan for unification
by force. Kim
explained that the
plan was to
be implemented in
three phases.
The
1st phase: preparation
and strengthening of
military power (the
war
planning and preparation)
planning and preparation)
The
2nd phase: proposal
to the south
for the peaceful
unification
(camouflaged peace offensive)
(camouflaged peace offensive)
The
3rd phase: refusal
of the dialogue
by South Korea,
and the
commencement of the war (launching an invasion of the South)
commencement of the war (launching an invasion of the South)
Mao expressed
his consent to
this plan, and
rendered advice on
the war directions
such as the
operational preparation and
the employment of
the military forces.
They also exchanged
views on the
possible Japanese and
American intervention in
the war.
Mao emphasized
first the importance
of the preparation,
saying that in
order to implement
successfully the planned
operation, thorough preparation
was a must,
and it was
important to instruct
every soldier and
commander in a
concrete way how
to act. He, then, advised
that the North
Korean Army should
act rapidly once
the operations started,
and might encircle
the major cities,
but should not
delay in order
to occupy them,
and the forces
should be employed
in a concentrated
way to annihilate
the enemy troops.
When
Mao asked about
the possibilities of
the Japanese Army’s
intervention, Kim replied
that he saw
little possibilities of
it; however, he
did not exclude completely
the possibility that
the US would
send 20,000~30,000 Japanese
troops to Korea.
He added, however,
that the Japanese
entry into the
war could not
change the situation
in a definitive
way. On the
contrary, under such
circumstances, the North
Korea troops would
fight even more
fiercely against the
enemy. Mao then
mentioned that 20,000
to 30,000 Japanese
troops’ intervention might lead
to a prolonged
war, but the
current situation showed
little possibility that
Japan would intervene.
While Mao
anticipated little chance
of Japan’s intervention,
he was worried
about the America’s
entry into the
war. He said
that if America
intervened, then China
would send its
troops to assist
North Korea. He
also mentioned that
Since the Soviet
had an agreement
with America on
the partition of
the 38th Parallel,
the former was in an
inconvenient position to
enter the war,
but China, which
was free from
such obligation, could
assist North Korea.
Later on (July 1950),
Roschin, Soviet ambassador
to Peking, was
told by Chou
En Lai that
in the Kim-Mao
meeting, Mao had
warned of the
possibility of American
troops’ direct intervention
in the Korean
War, but Kim
said there was
little possibility of it. Judging
from this, it
seems that in
the conference the
opinions of both
sides were divided
largely on the
possibility of the
American troops’ intervention.
Finally, Mao
mentioned that if the invasion
of South Korea
began after China
had occupied Taiwan,
China would be
able to assist
North Korea sufficiently.
However, as North
Korea decided to
start the operations
at this point,
and it became
the common task
for our two
countries, China agreed
to it and
would provide necessary
assistance.
At the
dinner on the
same day, Kim
mentioned to Roschin,
Soviet ambassador to
Peking who was
sitting beside Mao,
“During the meeting,
we reached perfect
agreement on every
issue.” This means
that Kim, Mao,
and Stalin reached
perfect agreement on
the invasion of
South Korea.
As
was
revealed in the
series of secret
meetings, Mao and
the Chinese Communist
leadership were deeply
involved in the
Korean War plot
second only to
Stalin from the
beginning; they shared
the responsibility, taking
it as their
common task, rendered
the military assistance
including the transferring
of the troops,
and particularly made
clear their intention
that if American
troops intervened, China
would commit the
CCF to assist
North Korea Thus,
the Chinese Communists
started preparation for
entry into the
Korean War.
BIBLIOGRAPHY : KOREA INSTITUTE OF MILITARY HISTORY
REPUBLIC OF KOREA