The Korean Children's Union (KCU) is a

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

n organization to which all children aged seven to fourteen other than those in labor camps belong. A

pioneer movement A pioneer movement is an youth organization, organization for children operated by a communist party. Typically children enter into the organization in elementary school and continue until adolescence. The adolescents then typically join the Yo ...

, it is a political organization linked to the

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...

. Its uniformed branch, which admits children ages 9 through fifteen, is known as the Young Pioneer Corps. The organization operates chapters in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. It teaches children about ''

Juche ''Juche'', officially the ''Juche'' idea, is a component of Ideology of the Workers' Party of Korea#Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism, Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism, the state ideology of North Korea and the official ideology of the Workers' Party o ...

'' and other aspects of the state ideology. It is a precursor to the Socialist Patriotic Youth League. Its officers play a role similar to that of student body leaders in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

n schools, but with a military-style rank structure. Among its activities are raising funds for weapons: in 2023 it donated rocket launcher vehicles to the armed forces. Prospective members are usually welcomed formally on an important

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, federal holiday, statutory holiday, bank holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Types Civic holiday A ''civic holiday'', also k ...

such as the Day of the Sun, the

Military Foundation Day Military Foundation Day () is an annual public holiday in North Korea falling on 8 February. Background North Korean historiography has two competing dates for the founding of the modern Korean People's Army (KPA): 25 April 1932 and 8 Februa ...

, or the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. It is considered an important occasion in a child's life. On such days, kindergarten-grade children are officially admitted and red neckerchiefs and pins handed out. Third graders from primary schools are usually welcomed into the Young Pioneers in investiture ceremonies on the same days.

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