From August 2 to 6, a Russian delegation led by Leila Zotova, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), made a working visit to the Republic of Korea. The main goal of the trip was to develop Russian-Korean cooperation in youth policy and strengthen humanitarian ties.
"The International Festival of Youth – 2026 will become one of the key projects of Russian-Korean youth cooperation. More than 120 young people from the Republic of Korea have applied to take part in the event. During the visit, we also saw strong interest from our Korean partners in Russia's experience in youth policy. We discussed opportunities for exchanging best practices and expanding the participation of Korean youth in Russian projects. I believe that this cooperation will help create new formats for the development and self-fulfillment of young people in both countries," said Leila Zotova, Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh.
The delegation included representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate, the Russia – Land of Opportunity presidential platform, the ArtMasters ANO, and MGIMO University.
During the visit, the Russian delegation met with students from Seoul universities at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies – a leading center for Russian studies in the Republic of Korea. Many of those present had applied to take part in the IFY – 2026 and shared their expectations. Korean youth traditionally take part in festival movement events: in 2024, 28 representatives of the Republic of Korea attended the World Youth Festival, and in 2025, eight of the country's young leaders took part in the WYF Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod.
The Russian delegation also held meetings with South Korean counterparts responsible for youth affairs – Mr. Kim Dong-ah, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and Mr. Oh Chang-seok, Chairman of the Korea Youth Foundation. This is a non-profit organization coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea. The Foundation organizes large-scale public projects and develops mechanisms for young people's direct participation in the country's political life. Mr. Oh is also Deputy Head of the Youth Advisory Council under the Head of the Presidential Administration.
At the meeting, he spoke highly of Russia's youth policy system, its developed youth support infrastructure, and the Youth and Children national project, and specifically noted his interest in studying Russia's experience in training youth work specialists and implementing corresponding educational programs.
"I envy Russia, as Russian youth receive enormous support from Russian President Vladimir Putin. I will certainly report this to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. We need to consider the possibility of adopting Russia's experience in creating a dedicated specialization in youth work. I would be very grateful if we could stay in contact on this matter," said Mr. Oh Chang-seok.
Representatives of the Foundation expressed strong interest in the IFY – 2026.
In addition, the Russian delegation met with Mr. Lee Jae-young, Director of the Democracy Institute, an analytical think tank. He described the position of President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung on establishing a state youth policy system in the country. The Republic of Korea currently lacks not only such a system but also a national authority to coordinate youth policy.
The Russian side presented the comprehensive approach to youth work implemented in Russia by Rosmolodezh and local authorities. Mr. Lee Jae-young expressed interest in establishing ongoing contacts with the Russian side to exchange experience and stated that South Korea should learn from Russia.
"While today we place great importance on studying trends among young people and are searching for new solutions in youth policy, Russia has gone further than us in building a unified, effective ecosystem [of youth support], and we should adopt this experience," Mr. Lee Jae-young noted.
The parties agreed to continue dialogue on youth cooperation and the exchange of best practices in youth policy.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place in Sirius on March 1-7, 2024, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
In line with the Russian President’s instructions to preserve and further develop the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across the Russian Federation. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will welcome 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will take place in 2030.
The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and develop a global community of young people committed to shaping a better future.