Human rights groups have urged Ukraine to allow North Korean POWs to seek refuge in South Korea, warning that repatriation could lead to severe punishment or death. The plea follows Ukraine’s capture of North Korean soldiers and highlights international legal violations surrounding their potential repatriation. The interplay between North Korean military support to Russia and the ramifications for POW treatment are also examined.
Human rights organizations are advocating for Ukraine to permit captured North Korean soldiers to seek asylum in South Korea, thereby preventing their potential execution upon repatriation to North Korea. In an open letter addressed to Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul, the Transitional Justice Working Group, alongside eight other organizations, articulated their concerns regarding the severe consequences these individuals could face if returned to their homeland.
This appeal has emerged following the capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested a possible exchange of these soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, activists have firmly stated that such actions would contravene Article 45 of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits the forcible repatriation of individuals who face persecution.
Intelligence reports reveal that North Korea has deployed between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia since 2024. This deployment marks Pyongyang’s largest foreign military engagement since the Korean War and is indicative of the strengthening ties between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, formalized in a mutual assistance agreement signed during their June 2024 summit.
The North Korean troops are primarily functioning as light infantry within the Russian military framework, operating under forged identities. They are assigned defensive roles and support trench warfare, while senior North Korean officers manage operations from a safe distance. Ukrainian intelligence has noted the involvement of three North Korean generals in this military effort, among them Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, who leads special forces operations.
Significant combat losses have occurred among the North Korean forces, with Ukrainian intelligence estimating that over 3,000 soldiers, roughly 40% of their original contingent, have either been killed or wounded by January 2025. Following a three-week lull, North Korea reportedly sent an additional 3,500 soldiers for training purposes in Russia’s Far East.
North Korea benefits materially from its military cooperation with Russia. Increased exports of oil and other essential goods from Russia to Pyongyang have been noted, alongside estimates from a South Korean intelligence-linked think tank suggesting that North Korea profited approximately $540 million from arms sales in 2023, predominantly to Russia.
Moreover, the Institute for the Study of War asserts that North Korea interprets the Ukraine conflict as a critical opportunity for military learning, enabling them to test their weaponry against Western systems while gaining authentic combat experience. This alliance bolsters North Korea’s anti-Western sentiment and may influence strategic circumstances on the Korean Peninsula.
Such military cooperation blatantly contravenes U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, which forbids North Korea from exporting military personnel or arms, eliciting international disapproval and renewed sanctions from the United States and South Korea.
Human rights advocates contend that permitting North Korean POWs to defect could incentivize more soldiers to surrender, which may weaken Pyongyang’s support base for Russia. South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon, who visited Ukraine in February, reported that one of the captured soldiers expressed a desire to defect while the other remained ambivalent regarding that choice.
In summary, human rights organizations are advocating for the humane treatment of North Korean POWs by allowing them to seek refuge in South Korea, thus sparing them from potential execution upon repatriation. The ongoing military collaboration between North Korea and Russia raises concerns regarding international law violations and human rights issues. Furthermore, the substantial losses within North Korean ranks highlight the challenges faced amid this extensive foreign military deployment. Encouraging defection among these soldiers may weaken the regime in Pyongyang and transform the dynamics surrounding the conflict.
Original Source: www.dailynk.com
