North Koreans captured by Ukraine could hold POW status, Unification Ministry says

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North Koreans captured by Ukraine could hold POW status, Unification Ministry says

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 16:16

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A wounded soldier, suspected to be North Korean and captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region, is pictured in this file photo posted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's X account on Jan. 11. [YONHAP]

North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine could now be considered prisoners of war, following Pyongyang’s official acknowledgment of its troop deployment to Russia, the South Korean government stated on Tuesday.

“Until now, North Korea had not officially admitted its participation, but since it has now been confirmed, North Korea is a belligerent party, and the captured soldiers can be regarded as holding official prisoner of war status,” a Ministry of Unification official told reporters on Tuesday regarding whether there would be change in status of the North Korean soldiers captured by the Ukrainian military.

North Korea, for the first time on Monday, officially admitted to sending troops to Russia, citing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s determination that the move invoked Article 4 of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow, which obligates military support in cases of necessity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promptly issued a statement of gratitude following North Korea’s announcement, asserting that the deployment was lawful under Article 4 of the treaty.

The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party declared through an official statement published in the state-run Rodong Sinmun that “our military units, under the command of the state leader, participated in the liberation operation of the Kursk region and made significant contributions to the liberation of Russian territory,” and declared the “victorious conclusion” of the operation.

Ukraine previously announced in January that it had captured two North Korean soldiers. One of them expressed a desire to seek asylum and travel to South Korea, while the other was reportedly still considering his options.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, shake hands during a signing ceremony for a new partnership in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

The Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 28 that the two North Korean soldiers, recovering from injuries at a detention center in Kyiv, “acknowledged that returning to North Korea as former prisoners of war could be dangerous for them.”

The South Korean government has maintained that, under the Constitution, these individuals are considered South Korean nationals and has been communicating with the Ukrainian government under the principle of accepting them if they wish to come to South Korea.

The Geneva Conventions, which outline the treatment of prisoners of war, stipulate that captives must be released and repatriated without delay after the end of hostilities. However, by the principle of non-refoulement under international law, individuals must not be forcibly returned to a country where they would face torture or persecution.

North Korean state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on its front page on April 28 that North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia's Kursk region. [YONHAP]

Regarding North Korea’s claim that its troop deployment is consistent with international law, the Unification Ministry official criticized it as “an absurd argument, like the idiom 'calling a deer a horse.'”

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine itself violates the UN [United Nations] Charter, the highest standard of international law, and is an illegal war,” said the official. “Whether North Korea declared its participation beforehand or acknowledged it afterward does not affect the illegality of the war.”

Separately, regarding the North Korean military delegation’s trip to Russia to attend the Third International Anti-Fascist Congress, the official said, “we need to watch whether there are other purposes for the visit.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]