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The DPRK International Solidarity Group (DPRK ISG), in accordance with the “Declaration on the Continuity of the International Solidarity Movement with the DPRK,” traces its history back to the founding of the Society for Soviet‑Korean Friendship on July 16, 1958.

The Group was created to form a united front of international solidarity and to strengthen and develop friendly relations with Korea at the level of people’s diplomacy.

At present, the DPRK ISG has Executive Committees operating in China, Russia, Europe, North America, Tajikistan and Armenia.

Collective members of the DPRK ISG are the DPRK International Youth Friendship League (IYFL), the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, the Altai Society for the Study of the Juche Idea, the German Group for the Study of the Juche Idea, and the Hungarian DPRK Study Society.

On the Group’s official pages, news from the DPRK is published, as well as articles by Korean studies scholars, reviews and travel notes of foreigners, little‑known information about Korean history and culture, including recordings of films and songs, and reproductions of paintings. Information is also published on international cooperation with the DPRK in various fields, from culture to economy, on the work of friendship societies, the study of the Juche philosophy, and the organization of delegation and tourist trips to Korea.

The DPRK ISG is a member of the World Anti‑Imperialist Platform (WAP) and has friendship and cooperation agreements with the International Association of Peace Funds (IAPF), the Komsomol of Tajikistan, the American Communist Party (ACP), and the JoJack movement.

The Group is registered in the IAPF’s “Korea Support Program.”

   Key Events   

— July 16, 1958 – The Society for Soviet‑Korean Friendship was established within the Union of Soviet Societies for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (USSF).
— From August to December 1991 – As a result of tragic events, the Society for Soviet‑Korean Friendship ceased its activities.
— Spring 1992 – Under the leadership of Comrade Tolstikov, a participant in the liberation of Korea (1945) and the Liberation War against the American aggressors (1950‑1953), an initiative group was created to revive the Friendship Society. The group included outstanding patriots, among them academicians Titarenko and Kapitsa, twice Heroes of the Soviet Union Leonov and Popkov, ten Hero pilots of the Soviet Union, as well as well‑known political and public figures, diplomats and writers.
— April 7, 1993 – The founding assembly of the re‑established Friendship Society took place. Of all the friendship societies in Russia, it was the first to fully resume its activities.
— December 2011 – A network of “circles” for studying the history and politics of the DPRK was created to worthily perpetuate the memory of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il.
— 2012 – Comrade Kulov founded the Russian Solidarity Group with the DPRK.
— February 20, 2013 – The Group began work as a full‑fledged solidarity organization under the leadership of Comrade Lebedev.
— September 24, 2016 – On the instruction of Comrade Lebedev, the Belarusian Solidarity Group with the DPRK was created.
— November 20, 2017 – Comrade Kadkina founded the Altai Society for the Study of the Juche Idea.
— February 5, 2020 – By the decision of Comrade Mostov, the Group was reorganized into the DPRK International Solidarity Group (DPRK ISG). At the same time, the Coordination Committee (Central Committee) was formed as a collective self‑governing body.
— October 3, 2020 – The 1st International Solidarity Congress was held in Moscow.
— December 5, 2020 – Under the leadership of Comrade Li Jizheng, the Chinese Solidarity Group with the DPRK was created.
— January 10, 2021 – Under the leadership of Comrade Wittmund, the German Executive Committee of the DPRK ISG was created.
— March 6, 2023 – Comrade Yuldoshev created the Tajikistan Solidarity Group with the DPRK.
— April 21, 2023 – The Coordination Committee of the DPRK ISG of the 2nd convocation was formed under the leadership of Comrade Mostov.
— July 15–22, 2023 – The 2nd International Solidarity Congress was held in Russia, China and Germany.
— July 17, 2023 – Within the framework of the 2nd Congress, negotiations took place between the Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, Comrade Petrov, and the Head of the Executive Committee of the Russian Solidarity Group with the DPRK, Comrade Kadkina. The parties concluded that it was necessary to unite the organizations on an equal footing. Thus, the Society joined the DPRK ISG as the sole Russian representative office.
— July 22, 2023 – The German Executive Committee was reorganized into the European Executive Committee of the DPRK ISG. The branch in Germany continued its work as the German Regional Committee within the European Executive Committee.
— March 27, 2024 – On the initiative of Comrade Gál, the Hungarian Regional Committee of the DPRK ISG was created.
— June 25, 2024 – On the initiative of Comrade Helali, the North American Executive Committee of the DPRK ISG was created.
— December 22, 2024 – Within the framework of the 8th Organizing Conference of the DPRK ISG, the Armenian Solidarity Group with the DPRK was created.
— April 30, 2025 – The Declaration on the Continuity of the International Solidarity Movement with the DPRK was signed, restoring the line of continuity broken by Boris Yeltsin.
— June 12, 2025 – On the initiative of Comrade Đenić, the Serbian Regional Committee of the DPRK ISG was created.
— April 9, 2026 – The DPRK International Youth Friendship League (IYFL) was created as the youth wing of the DPRK ISG.
— April 17, 2026 – In accordance with Order No. 28, the “Coordination Committee” was renamed the “Central Committee”.
— April 29, 2026 – The DPRK ISG signed the “Paris Declaration” and officially became a member of the World Anti-Imperialist Platform.
— May 1, 2026 – The Central Committee of the DPRK ISG of the 3nd convocation was formed under the leadership of Comrade Zheng Yutong.

   Central Committee (3rd Convocation)   

Leadership

Chairman of the Central Committee: Zheng Yutong (President of the DPRK ISG).

Honorary Chairman: Viktor Alekseevich Petrov (Full Cavalier of the Order of Friendship of the DPRK, Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK).

Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee: Sergey Nikolaevich Baburin (President of the International Association of Peace Funds).

Departments of the Central Committee

– 1st Department of People’s Diplomacy
The Department oversees the work of representative offices for central events on the occasion of important dates.
Director: Sergey Nikolaevich Baburin

– 2nd Scientific Department
The Department directs the development of scientific cooperation.
Director: Konstantin Valerievich Asmolov

– 3rd Information Department
The Department disseminates truthful information about the DPRK and fights against disinformation through cooperation with media projects.
Director: Stanislav Alexandrovich Vasilyev

– 4th Administrative Department
The Department coordinates business activities and the work of the DPRK ISG representative offices.
Director: Alexander Andreevich Mostov

Members

From the Russian Executive Committee:

Georgy Konstantinovich Dmitriev (Head of the Russian Executive Committee)

Vitaly Andreevich Lebedev (Military Expert of the 2nd Department)

Ilya Yuryevich Kleymenov (Supervisor of the Pioneer Program)

From the Chinese Executive Committee:

Luan Xinglong (Head of the Chinese Executive Committee)

Zhang Shaoyan (Secretary General)

From the European Executive Committee:

Johannes Wittmund (Head of the European Executive Committee, Head of the German Regional Committee)

Péter Gál (Head of the Hungarian Regional Committee)

Aleksandar Đenić (Head of the Serbian Regional Committee)

From the North American Executive Committee:

Christopher Helali (Head of the Executive Committee)

Don Courter (Information Technology Advisor)

From the Tajikistan Executive Committee:

Shahnaza Sharapova (Head of the Executive Committee)

Gulshan Karimova (Deputy Head)

From the Armenian Executive Committee:

Karen Shahnikyan (Head of the Executive Committee)

Representatives of collective member organizations in the Central Committee

Viktor Alekseevich Petrov (Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK), Darya Valentinovna Kadkina (Chairperson of the Altai Society for the Study of the Juche Idea), Johannes Wittmund (German Group for the Study of the Juche Idea), Patrick Pogranz (Hungarian DPRK Study Society).

Candidates for membership

Haz Al‑Din (Regional Secretary in the USA), Nicholas Reed (Regional Secretary in Canada), Ivan Kozlov (Regional Secretary in the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation), Miruna Georgiana Pandele (Regional Secretary in Romania).