April 16, Moscow. (DPRK ISG Information Bureau – RSTV)   

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— Founding Meeting of the International Youth Friendship League Held —

On April 9, the University of World Civilizations (UWC) hosted the solemn event “Day of the Sun: the Legacy of Kim Il Sung”, dedicated to the 114th anniversary of the birth of the Great Leader of the Korean people.

The organizers of this central festive event were the Russian Executive Committee of the DPRK International Solidarity Group (DPRK ISG), together with the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK, and the newly established International Youth Friendship League (IYFL). The event was attended by representatives of the DPRK Embassy in the Russian Federation, numerous students, faculty members of the UWC, and distinguished Korean studies scholars.

A welcoming address to those gathered was delivered by Comrade Andrey Andreyevich Romanov, head of the Department of World Politics and Intercivilizational Development at the UWC and head of the Russia‑DPRK Friendship Club at the UWC. He stressed that a true friend is known in need. The way the DPRK came to Russia’s aid in a difficult moment makes it possible to draw an unambiguous conclusion: the Korean side is a genuine and loyal friend to our country.

After his speech, the national anthems of the DPRK and the Russian Federation were played.

The first speaker was Comrade Viktor Alekseyevich Petrov, Honorary President of the DPRK ISG and Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cultural Cooperation with the DPRK. He emphasised the invaluable contribution of the Great Leader to the cause of strengthening friendship between the peoples of Russia and Korea, and noted that the Juche ideas laid down by Comrade Kim Il Sung continue to inspire fighters for justice throughout the world.

Comrade Alexander Andreyevich Mostov, Director of the 4th Administrative Department of the DPRK ISG, in his speech spoke about the heroic youth of the era of the Great Comrade Kim Il Sung and also announced the formation of the International Youth Friendship League. He solemnly handed the text of the declaration to Comrade Kim Chun Song, Advisor to the DPRK Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Comrade Mostov noted that it was at the University of World Civilizations in 2023 that the first DPRK Friendship Club was created, after which similar clubs appeared in many higher educational institutions. “And now, in this very place, we announce their unification into an international youth organisation,” he stressed.

The names of the leading officials of the IYFL, approved by the President of the DPRK ISG, Comrade Zheng Yutong, were announced:

Chairman of the Central Committee – Comrade Alexander Mostov;
Vice‑Chairperson of the Central Committee – Comrade Gulshan Karimova;
First Secretary for Organisational Work – Comrade Ivan Kozlov;
Second Secretary for International Relations and Scientific Work – Comrade Sergey Mikhailov;
Third Secretary for Information Technology – Comrade Rita Popova.

Congratulatory telegrams addressed to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, were adopted on behalf of the Russian Executive Committee of the DPRK ISG and the International Youth Friendship League.

Afterwards, the event featured reports from researchers at the Center for Korean Studies of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Comrade Konstantin Valerievich Asmolov, Leading Researcher of the Center for Korean Studies, Director of the 2nd Scientific Department of the DPRK ISG, spoke about the partisan activities of the Great Commander Comrade Kim Il Sung during the years of Japanese occupation of Korea and their historical significance.

Comrade Lada Igorevna Syomina, Senior Researcher of the Center for Korean Studies, shared the results of her research on the healthcare system of the DPRK, noting that Comrade Kim Il Sung created a unique system of preventive healthcare, enabling effective care for the people’s health.

The speeches were concluded by activist Anna Zorich, a third‑year student of the Faculty of International Relations and Geopolitics at the University of World Civilizations. She explained the importance of signing the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK, stressing that after the participation of Korean soldiers in the liberation of the Kursk region, our partnership is sealed not only by a treaty but also by blood shed together.

After the speeches, a documentary film about the participation of Korean servicemen in the liberation of the Kursk region, with a Russian translation, was shown. The speakers and the audience, watching the selfless feats of the soldiers of the Korean People’s Army, could not hold back their tears, and the hall was once again convinced of the unbreakable brotherhood of the peoples of the two countries.

All students were given the opportunity to take home the works of the great leaders, provided by the DPRK Embassy. Out of fifty copies, only three remained after the event (they were subsequently handed over to the UWC library), which testifies to the keen interest of students in studying Korean culture and history.

The participants of the gathering took a commemorative photograph.