
A North Korean POW captured by Ukrainian forces during hostilities in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, as seen in a photo published on Jan. 11, 2025. (President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram)
THE KYIV INDEPENDENT | Published January 15, 2025
Seoul plans to hold consultations with Kyiv regarding the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers if they request defection, Yonhap reported on Jan. 14, citing South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong.
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently announced the capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
“Since North Korean soldiers are our citizens under the constitution, our government plans to have talks with Ukraine if they ask to defect to South Korea,” Lee said.
The South Korean constitution defines the entire Korean peninsula as its territory and considers all residents as citizens. However, neither of the captured soldiers has expressed a willingness to be transferred to South Korea, Lee added.
Seoul remains in contact with Kyiv on matters related to the captured North Korean soldiers.
North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces against a Ukrainian incursion launched on Aug. 6. Ukrainian troops continue to operate in the region, leveraging their positions for potential future negotiations.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimates that North Korean casualties have reached 300 killed and 2,700 wounded, attributing the losses to inadequate training and ineffective counter-drone tactics.
The NIS also reported that some North Korean soldiers have been forced to commit suicide to avoid capture by Ukrainian forces. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby echoed these claims on Dec. 27, adding that captured North Korean troops fear severe retaliation against their families if they surrender.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.kyivindependent.com
RELATED: Captured North Koreans Don’t Want Asylum in South Korea, Seoul Says
One of the captured North Korean soldiers fighting for the Kremlin previously voiced a desire to stay in Ukraine, while the other said he wanted to return home.
Published January 15, 2025
The two North Korean troops captured by Ukraine expressed no desire to seek asylum in South Korea, Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) spy agency said on Monday.
DPRK (North Korean) troops began aiding Moscow’s attempt to retake the Kursk region from Ukrainian control in late 2024, with Seoul claiming on Monday that around 300 have been killed alongside thousands wounded
Of the two DPRK troops captured by Kyiv, one has previously voiced a desire to return to North Korea, while the other wished to stay in Ukraine, according to earlier interviews with the soldiers conducted in Korean and published by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The NIS told South Korean lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Monday that it participated in the questioning of the two North Korean troops, where the two expressed no desire to defect, two lawmakers who attended the meeting told AP News.
Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, told AP News that even if the two had wished to defect, there is currently no legal basis to facilitate the process.
“There’s nothing we can say at the current stage,” Koo said, adding that it requires “legal reviews, including on international law, and consultations with related nations” if North Korean troops captured by Ukraine wish to be extradited to South Korea instead.
Zelensky said in a Sunday social media update that Kyiv is ready to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to exchange the captured North Koreans with Ukrainian troops under Russian captivity.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.kyivpost.com
Be the first to comment