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North Korean delegations arrives at World Youth Festival in Sochi

The delegation members refrained from speaking to press

SOCHI, October 15. /TASS/. A North Korean delegation led by First Secretary of the Youth League Jon Yong-nam has arrived at the opening ceremony of the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi on Sunday.

Wearing dark-blue suits with badges featuring Kim Il-sung’s and Kim Jon-il’s portraits, the delegation members demonstrated a restrained reaction to TASS questions about their impressions. A North Korean girl accompanying the delegation said in Russian that the North Korean guests were not yet ready to speak with journalists.

Nevertheless, they seem to be prepared for the ceremony. They are holding national flags, and a female member of the delegation is wearing a traditional white and rose dress.

The North Korea embassy to Russia said earlier that a delegation from the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League had set off for Russia on October 12.

Russia hosts the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students on October 14-22. The official opening and main events will take place in Sochi’s Olympic Park on October 15-22.

Taking part in the forum would be more than 20,000 young men and women, including 10,000 foreigners. Nearly 180 countries applied for participation.

During the first days of the festival 2,000 foreign guests will tour 15 regions of Russia under an unprecedented regional program.

Moscow hosted two world festivals - in 1957 and 1985. The 6th World Festival of Youth and Students in 1957 was the largest-ever, with 34,000 young men and women from 100 countries taking part.

The Russian news agency TASS is the festival’s general information partner and official photo host.

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