According to South Korean intelligence, around 300 North Korean soldiers were killed and 2,700 injured while fighting alongside the Russian army. These figures are announced as Ukraine reports the capture of two North Korean soldiers sent to support Russia.
Interrogated using South Korean translators, the captured North Korean soldiers said they did not know their whereabouts, with one of them believing they were participating in a simple military exercise. Their testimony confirms South Korean revelations about the lack of preparation of North Korean troops, deployed by Russia without adequate protection, resulting in heavy losses.
Now what will happen to these two captured fighters? The Ukrainian president, who widely publicized this capture, declared that he was ready to hand over the soldiers to Moscow or Pyongyang in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war. However, neither recognizes the commitment of North Korean troops on the ground.
A transfer to South Korea?
-While their future is still unknown, Seoul has indicated that neither has requested to be hosted in South Korea. Because that could be an option for them. South Korea considers the entire peninsula as its territory and the North Korean regime as illegitimate, making all North Koreans its citizens. As such, Seoul welcomes defectors, including soldiers. However, the case of the two North Korean prisoners captured in Ukraine, a third country in conflict, is unprecedented. Their situation requires a review of international law and consultations with relevant countries, according to South Korea’s Unification Ministry.
If the two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine were returned to North Korea, they would face death or torture, as their high-profile capture contradicts the regime’s denial of involvement in the conflict. Their orders, revealed in notes found on bodies, stipulated to commit suicide rather than be captured. Furthermore, their families could already suffer reprisals from the Kim Jong-Un regime.
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