The Han-in Sahoe-tang (Korean Socialist Party, 한인 사회당), was organized in Khabarovsk, Russia by Yi Tong-hwi (이동휘) in 1918. This party is considered to be Korea’s first socialist party, even though it was established outside of Korea.
Kim Il-sung himself gives credit to Hanin Sahoetang for starting to disseminate Marxism-Leninism.
“It was also here that the Korean Socialist Party headed by Ri Tong Hui started to disseminate Marxism-Leninism as the first socialist group of Korea”
See With the Century, Volume 1, by Kim Il-sung, page 47.