North Korea welcomed hundreds of Russian students to an international “friendship camp” this week, the latest joint effort to strengthen ties between the two rogue states.
The international exchange program, which began with an opening ceremony on Wednesday at the Songdowon International Children’s Camp, was touted as a triumph in the North Korean press.
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“Present at the ceremony were Kim Song Il, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, officials concerned, and campers,” a terse dispatch from state-run outlet Korea Central News Agency said. “A camping flag was hoisted at the ceremony.”
“Colourful fireworks were displayed in the sky above Songdowon and there were a ceremony of a schoolchildren’s brass band and a small drum group and the march-past of campers,” KCNA reported.
Camp Songdowon, located just outside the wealthy city of Wonsan on the nation’s east coast, is expected to run for 10 days.
The site has hosted international youth groups for cross-cultural camps since the 1960s, when it was used to build relations with fellow Communist nations.
It was reopened in 2014 as a prestigious opportunity for the children of well-connected regime members to gain exposure to foreign cultures.
Scheduled activities this year reportedly include a North Korea Day, a Russia Day, and a Friendship of Peoples Evening.
The regional government of Primorsky in Russia celebrated the camp on the social media platform Telegram, saying children can expect a “busy, exciting program.”
“They will be involved in activities strengthening the ties between the two countries,” the government’s account wrote alongside photos of Russian children arriving at the airport in North Korea. “They will be ambassadors and show the North Korean children Russian culture in all its glory.”
The children participating in the camp were chosen from a pool of candidates who entered a state-sponsored essay contest, according to independent Russian news outlet Novaya Gazeta.
Applicants chose from preselected topics such as what they would like to learn about North Korea, what they would like to teach North Koreans about Russia, and Russia’s role in a multipolar world.
The camp is not far from North Korea’s first international resort, the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, which held its grand opening earlier this month.
NORTH KOREA BANS FOREIGNERS FROM BEACH RESORT AFTER FIRST ROUND OF RUSSIAN TOURISTS
Approximately a week after accepting its first round of Russian visitors, the resort announced it would suspend foreign tourists’ access indefinitely.
No reason for the sudden change in policy was announced, but banning international visitors could threaten the long-term financial viability of the resort, which boasts restaurants, water parks, shopping districts, and more.