The North Korean youth delegation visited Russia to attend the 2024 World Youth Festival. North Korea and Russia appear to be continuing active exchanges not only in the military but also in various other fields.
The Labor Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on the 27th that a North Korean youth delegation led by Mun Cheol-dong, chairman of the Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth Alliance, departed Pyongyang on the 26th to participate in the World Youth Festival held in Sochi, Russia.
It is said that Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora and Baek Eun-cheol, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, sent a delegation from Pyongyang International Airport.
The Russian Embassy in North Korea said that the North Korean youth delegation plans to discuss ways to strengthen contacts between youth organizations of the two countries during its stay in Russia. The World Youth Festival will run from March 1 to 7.
On the same day, the youth team of the North Korea April 25 Sports Team Women’s Volleyball Club also departed for Vladivostok at the invitation of Russia’s Minister of Coastal Administrative Oleg Kozemyako. In addition to Vladivostok, the youth team plans to visit Lesozavodsk and Ussuriysk, as well as joint training and several friendly matches with Russian teams.
The North Korean April 25 Sports Team Women’s Volleyball Club youth team departed for Vladivostok on the 26th at the invitation of Russia’s Minister of Maritime Affairs Oleg Kozemyako. (Source = Russian Embassy in North Korea website) 2024.2.27./News 1The Russian Embassy said of the visit of the April 25 Sports Team Women’s Volleyball Club youth team, “It is a very good opportunity for Pyongyang volleyball players to gain valuable game experience and learn new ways to prepare for the competition,” adding, “A happy and healthy friendly match will be held.” “I hope so,” he said.
North Korea and Russia have been strengthening cooperation since the summit between Workers’ Party General Secretary Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year. Cooperation is actively taking place not only in the military sector but also in various other areas, such as arms trade due to the prolonged war in Ukraine.
The agricultural technology delegation led by Kim Gwang-ok, director of the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, who visited Russia earlier this month, returned to Korea by air on the 26th.
Prior to that, a group of Russian tourists led by Alexey Starichkov, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Maritime Province Government (Director of the Maritime Region International Cooperation Department) traveled to North Korea for the first time since COVID-19.
North Korea is also gradually opening its borders and expanding contacts with its allies, China and Russia. According to the newspaper, the Korean Federation of Trade Unions delegation, headed by Park In-cheol, Chairman of the Trade Union Central Committee, also departed for Sao Paulo, Brazil, on the 26th to participate in the regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the World Federation of Trade Unions.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.