President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky published Videos posted on social media on Sunday of two men who Ukraine claims were North Korean soldiers captured on the front lines of the Russian invasion were fighting without being told they were going to war.
In an accompanying message, Zelenskyy said he was open to negotiating with communist dictator Kim Jong-un the release of his soldiers if Kim Jong-un helped Ukraine retrieve some of its captured citizens from Russia. He also said he was willing to give political asylum to North Korean soldiers if they “do not want to return to their homeland” and to speak about their experiences, perhaps critical of the country they fled.
Since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, North Korea has emerged as one of Russia's most vocal geopolitical allies. Mr. Kim and his officials have enthusiastically supported the invasion of Ukraine, which was necessary to limit the influence of the free world, most notably the United States. on the international stage. In recognition of his loyalty, Kim was visited by Russian strongman President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang in June 2024. Putin's first visit to North Korea in 20 years culminated in the two countries signing a mutual defense agreement.
Mr. Zelensky, along with South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials, began reporting in the fall that North Korea was moving troops west into the Ukrainian theater. As of this article, North Korea has not confirmed that it is participating in the invasion, much less whether the presence of soldiers on the Russian-Ukrainian border is related to the mutual defense treaty.
On Saturday, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced In August, Ukraine announced that it had detained two North Korean soldiers in the Russian region of Kursk, which rebelled against the invasion. South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) provided translation support for the agents, allowing them to conduct interviews with the prisoners. The NIS independently confirmed the new prisoners and pledged to “continue to work closely with Ukrainian intelligence authorities and share information regarding North Korean prisoners.”
The men appearing in the video President Zelenskiy published on social media on Sunday and their answers when asked appeared to match the SBU's description of interviews with prisoners the day before.
When asked, one of the men said he didn't know where he was or that he was fighting a war with Ukraine. The man claimed that his superiors told him he was participating in military “training” rather than actual combat, and that he did not want to return to North Korea after being captured. The second man answered in the affirmative when asked if he wanted to return to North Korea.
In its first statement about the soldiers' capture, the SBU said one of the prisoners “stressed that he was allegedly going for training and not to wage war with Ukraine.”
“The foreigners received all necessary medical care immediately after their capture,” the SBU said. “They are being held on appropriate terms that meet the requirements of international law.”
In his message accompanying the video, President Zelenskiy said that if Kim Jong Un continues to send troops to support Russia, the number of North Korean prisoners captured in Ukraine will “definitely increase even more”. warned the government. He also indicated that he was willing to discuss his release with Kim.
“Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong-un's soldiers if he can organize an exchange with our fighters held captive in Russia,” Zelenskiy wrote. Kyiv is worth noting mark Sunday is a public holiday known as the Day of Ukrainian Political Prisoners.
He also expressed his hopes for the North Korean military fighting on Russia's behalf.
“North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return may have other options,” he wrote. “In particular, those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in the Korean language will be given that opportunity.”
The two alleged soldiers are the first two North Koreans that Ukraine claims to have captured alive. In late December, South Korea's National Intelligence Service revealed that Ukraine had captured a wounded North Korean soldier who died shortly after from wounds sustained in the battle.
At the time of writing, the North Korean government had not responded to the request to discuss the prisoner trade.
President Zelenskiy has been warning since October that North Korea poses a military threat to Europe, and had long impeached South Korean President Yoon Seok-yol. Speaking at the NATO Asia-Pacific Partners Conference in July 2023, Yun called on NATO to treat North Korea as a threat to Europe, not just an Asian problem.
“North Korea's nuclear missiles are a real threat that could strike not only Vilnius, but also Paris, Berlin, and London,” Yun warned at the time. “In today's hyper-connected era, European security and Asian security cannot be separated.”
In October, President Zelenskiy announced that the government had reason to believe that North Korea had begun preparing 10,000 troops to fight Ukraine alongside Russian forces. By early November, Kiev reported firing on the first detachment of North Korean troops. As of this writing, it is unclear how many North Koreans are on the front lines of the war against Ukraine, given that North Korea has not confirmed its activities in Ukraine. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Estimation According to a January 11 report, approximately 12,000 North Korean troops have been dispatched to the Ukraine front.
ISW reported this weekend about Ukraine's capture of an alleged North Korean soldier, noting that North Korean forces are reportedly trying to overwhelm Ukrainian forces with large numbers of troops.
“The North Korean military is reportedly deploying large strike groups in combat operations despite frequent Ukrainian drone attacks,” ISW noted, adding, “This is why North Korea is facing high casualties. “This is likely to be a contributing factor to the North Korean military's military leadership, and likely to influence the lessons the North Korean military command learns from the battle.” During the war. ”
“North Korean soldiers are also reportedly ignoring Ukrainian military drones and continuing to advance despite drone attacks on personnel,” it added.
According to a British newspaper report, guardiancited an anonymous American intelligence official in mid-December, claiming that North Korea had already suffered “hundreds of casualties” in its war with Ukraine at the time.
