Human rights groups are urging Ukraine to allow captured North Korean soldiers to seek refuge in South Korea rather than face potential execution in their homeland. In an open letter to Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul, the Transitional Justice Working Group and eight other organizations warned that repatriation to North Korea would likely result in severe punishment or death for the prisoners.
The appeal follows Ukraine’s capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January. While President Zelenskyy suggested exchanging them for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, activists argue this would violate Article 45 of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits forced repatriation of individuals facing persecution.
Intelligence reports indicate North Korea has deployed 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia since 2024, marking Pyongyang’s largest overseas military involvement since the Korean War. The deployment stems from deepening ties between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, formalized during their June 2024 summit where they reportedly signed a mutual assistance agreement.
These North Korean forces operate primarily as light infantry, integrated into Russian units with forged documents concealing their identities. They hold defensive positions and support trench warfare while high-ranking North Korean officers coordinate operations from behind the lines. Ukrainian intelligence has identified three North Korean generals linked to the war effort, including special forces commander Colonel General Kim Yong Bok.
Combat losses have been substantial. Ukrainian intelligence estimates over 3,000 North Korean soldiers – roughly 40% of their initial deployment – had been killed or wounded by January 2025. After a three-week absence from the battlefield, North Korea allegedly sent a second wave of 3,500 soldiers to train in Russia’s Far East.
North Korea receives valuable compensation for its military support. Russia has increased exports of oil and other essential commodities to Pyongyang, while a South Korean intelligence-affiliated think tank estimated North Korea earned about $540 million from arms exports in 2023, largely from sales to Russia.
Beyond material gains, the Institute for the Study of War notes that North Korea views the Ukraine conflict as a “vital learning opportunity” for its military to test weapons against Western-supplied systems and gain real combat experience. The alliance also strengthens North Korea’s anti-Western narrative while potentially reshaping strategic dynamics on the Korean Peninsula.
This military cooperation directly violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, which prohibits North Korea from exporting military forces or arms. The deployment has drawn international condemnation and fresh sanctions from the United States and South Korea.
Human rights organizations argue that allowing North Korean POWs to defect could encourage more soldiers to surrender, potentially undermining Pyongyang’s support for Russia. South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon, who visited Ukraine in February, reported that one captured soldier clearly expressed a desire to defect while the other remained undecided.
March 13, 2025 at 06:31AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)