sports

The Pyongyang Time reporter Kim Hak Chol had an interview on June 15 with Sergei Seyranov, president of the Russian Taekwon-Do Federation who came to Pyongyang to participate in the memorial service for Choe Hong Hui, ex-president of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, on the 22nd anniversary of his death.

Would you mind telling me your impression as you take part in the memorial service?

Well, it is my fourth visit to Pyongyang.

Whenever I come to Pyongyang, I see a great many positive changes that have taken place here. Everyone can see that Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK, is developing further day after day.  

The Russian Taekwon-Do Federation has maintained cooperative relations with the DPRK and the Korean Taekwon-Do Committee for 35 years regardless of any political change in the world.

We feel warm feelings towards the Korean people, the Korean Taekwon-Do Committee, and all martial artists we meet here and, in particular, we express genuine respect for Choe Hong Hui.

We would like to offer our thanks to the Korean people for their warm feelings and hospitality. 

As the DPRK-Russia friendly relations have improved unprecedentedly, exchanges in the field of Taekwon-Do will also be boosted in the future, I think. 

I think that all meetings and exchanges will bring about positive changes.

In particular, the Russian sports minister visited the DPRK in November last year and during his visit the sports ministries of the two countries reached an agreement on the plan for exchanges in the sports sector. 

Covering the years from 2024 to 2026, the plan includes lots of contents on all sports including Taekwon-Do and Olympic sports events. If the plan is put into effect in the future, the two countries will achieve great success in the sports sector.