From February 18 to 27, representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate paid official visits to the Republic of Korea and Thailand. The delegates met with representatives of government agencies, youth organizations, media companies and cultural associations. The main topics were the development of cooperation in the field of youth policy, the promotion of creative industries and cultural exchange, as well as the participation of young people from the Asia-Pacific region in the International Festival of Youth 2026 (IFY–2026).

During the visit to the Republic of Korea, a meeting was held at the editorial office of the magazine "Russia In & Out". The discussion was attended by members of the editorial board and editor-in-chief Kim Hyun-Taek, as well as Chairman of the Korean-Russian Business Council Park Johngho. The parties expressed interest in the meaningful participation of Korean partners in the preparation for the IFY–2026.

University teachers and students, young artists, representatives of the cultural community and content creators from the Republic of Korea also got introduced to the International Festival of Youth 2026 as part of a presentation at Kim Eun-hee's private gallery "Cartina Collection".

During the visit, a meeting was held with Kim Aisulu, deputy of the Seoul City Council, who oversees youth policy issues. She stressed the importance of the Festival as a platform for international dialogue, noted the importance of equal access to participation, and expressed confidence in the need to actively involve Korean youth in the IFY–2026 program. In addition, a working dialogue took place with Lee Jiwon, Director of Planning and Innovation at the state agency Korea Youth Work Agency. The parties discussed the exchange of best practices in the field of youth policy, the development of institutional cooperation and the prospects for the participation of Korean delegations in the Festival.

The key event of the visit to Thailand was the presentation of the International Festival of Youth 2026 on the sidelines of the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. The Forum is held at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and is a key annual UN event in the region.

Representatives of the official delegations of 53 member States and 9 associate members of the Commission, international and regional NGOs, as well as the media learned about the International Festival of Youth. Foreign delegations expressed wide interest in participating in international youth events held in Russia.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, 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 accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on preserving and developing the legacy of the World Youth Festival, which took place on the Sirius Federal Territory in 2024 and united 20,000 young people from 190 countries of the world, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030. In 2026, there will be a smaller event, an International Festival of Youth with 10,000 participants. In between, the World Youth Festival’s themed Assemblies will be held annually for 2,000 participants.

The first World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod from September 17 to 21, 2025 and brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.