On April 28, the Secretariat of the Northern Forum was visited by Mr. Im Hyung-jun, Representative of the Gangwon Province Administration (Republic of Korea) in Russia, accompanied by his assistant, Ms. Kwak Se-ra.
We previously met with them during the 10th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). Following that, they participated in the meeting of the Regional Coordinators Committee in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in December 2025, and this marks their first visit to Yakutia.
It is highly gratifying that interest in the Northern Forum is growing. Mr. Im is eager to build a solid foundation for the full restoration of the province's membership in the Northern Forum. Our meeting resulted in a measured and detailed discussion on the prospects of reviving cooperation, as well as the formats and mechanisms for joint work. The discussion was strictly practical: we reviewed the calendar of events and established a clear action plan for the remainder of the year.
Undoubtedly, both sides understand that much will depend on the outcome of the gubernatorial election on June 3. However, regardless of which of the two leading candidates wins, we have a strong opportunity to establish a constructive dialogue with the Gangwon administration. The incumbent governor is well-aware of the Northern Forum, while the other contender follows the policy of the President of the Republic of Korea aimed at fostering closer ties with Russia.
We expect our active engagements to begin around August, once the new administration is largely formed. In the meantime, we have agreed to prepare a report for the incoming governor regarding the resumption of Gangwon's membership in the Northern Forum. Furthermore, Mr. Im noted that the seaports of Donghae and Sokcho, which are connected to Vladivostok by ferry, have expressed interest in individual membership in the Northern Forum. This is a very compelling approach, given that both cities are located within Gangwon Province. Should they decide to formalize their membership, it could introduce a municipal tier to the Northern Forum. Previously, municipal-level members included St. Petersburg (as a city of federal significance) and Akureyri (Iceland), due to the absence of regional administrative divisions in Iceland.
As previously reported, Mr. Kim Yoon-shik, Honorary President of the Federation of Northern Economy of the Republic of Korea, invited the Northern Forum to collaborate on preparing and organizing the Northern Economic Forum in Seoul in late September. Mr. Im welcomed this news and fully agreed on the necessity of organizing a joint session and a visit by the Northern Forum delegation to Gangwon.
In turn, he shared information regarding the potential K-Fest festival in Vladivostok, featuring the key participation of Kangwon National University in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vladivostok. If the festival takes place in October, we will work to ensure the active participation of RACAR universities.
As part of preparing the report for the governor, we will draft a calendar of events aimed at actively bringing the Northern Forum and Gangwon Province closer together.
