Russian kids will go to 'excellent' summer camps in North Korea this year as the two countries move close

Children walk through Songdowon International School Children's Camp, where Russian children will be sent this summer. Carl Court/Getty Images

• Russian children will be sent to summer camp in North Korea at the end of July, per RIA Novosti.
• The initiative follows a new strategic partnership agreement between Russia and North Korea.
• The camp includes a statue of North Korea's founder, an aquarium, a beach, and an archery range.

A group of Russian school children will go to a summer camp in North Korea at the end of July, Grigory Gurov, the chair of the Movement of the First, told Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti.

According to a RIA Novosti Telegram post, Gurov said a large number of Russian children are expected to attend the camp, where he added the conditions will be "excellent."

Gurov, who leads the youth movement started by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December 2022, also said the North Korean summer camp will be the equivalent of Artek.

Artek is a youth center in Crimea that was previously a camp for the Young Pioneers — a Communist organization for children during the Soviet era.

North Korean Young Pioneers rowing at Songdowon in 2011. Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Getty Images

Gurov told state-run Russian news agency TASS that Russian children will be sent to Songdowon International Children's Camp, with the trip tentatively set for July 24 to August 2.

According to Songdowon's website, the camp exists to "help North Korea develop relations with foreign countries."

It said that international visitors from Russia, China, Thailand, Mongolia, and Mexico are welcomed each year, with their places subsidized by the state.

Kim Il Sung statue at the Songdowon summer camp in 2008. Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Getty Images

The website says the campsite includes a statue of Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea, surrounded by children, a full-size water park, an archery range, an aquarium, and a beach.

Songdowon did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Children take part in a cookery lesson at Songdowon International School Children's Camp on August 22, 2018. Carl Court/Getty Images

Gurov also told TASS that Russia would invite North Korean children to attend Russian summer camps, including Artek and others, as part of an exchange program.

He said there are also plans for children to go to other Russia-friendly countries, including Vietnam and China.

Last month, the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement, which North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un said upgraded their relationship to a "new high of alliance."

The new agreement includes a clause requiring the countries to come to each other's aid should there be aggression against either of them.

It also set guidelines for deepening ties on political, trade and investment, cultural, and humanitarian fields, as well as the security sphere, according to TASS.

Russian tourists of all ages will also be able to vacation on North Korean beaches this summer, according to a RIA Novosti Telegram post from April.

It said that tour programs have been developed lasting between eight and 12 days.

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