Why North Korean Prisoners of War in Ukraine Want to Move South
In a nondescript facility in Kyiv, a simple handwritten letter carries the weight of two lives, a geopolitical standoff, and a profound human longing. Two North Korean soldiers, captured by Ukrainian forces after being injured on the battlefield, have penned a direct appeal: they wish to defect to South Korea and begin anew.
The letter, dated late October and shared with AFP by a Seoul-based rights group, marks the first time the men have expressed this desire in their own words. It cuts through the noise of intelligence reports and diplomatic statements to reveal a deeply personal plea. “Thanks to the support of the South Korean people, new dreams and aspirations have begun to take root,” they wrote.
Their capture is a direct result of North Korea’s deepening involvement in the war in Ukraine. According to South Korean and Western intelligence, Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to bolster Russia’s forces, a move analysts say is repaid with crucial military technology and supplies. The human cost for North Korea is steep, with Seoul estimating at least 600 dead and thousands more wounded.
For these soldiers, being taken alive was itself an act of defiance. They are instructed by their government to choose death over capture. South Korea’s intelligence service confirms that soldiers are ordered to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner. The men described witnessing wounded comrades detonating grenades to avoid capture—a harrowing context that makes their survival and their choice all the more significant.
“During the interview, the pair also pleaded to be sent to the South,” said Jang Se-yul, chief of the Gyeore-eol Nation United (GNU) rights group, which facilitated the letter’s delivery. The video of their interview is expected to be released next month.
Their hope hinges on a foundational principle of South Korean law. The country’s constitution considers all Koreans, north and south of the border, as its citizens. Seoul has explicitly stated this extends to North Korean troops captured in Ukraine. The soldiers’ letter leans into this promise of belonging: “We firmly believe that we are never alone, and we think of those in South Korea as our own parents and siblings and have decided to go into their embrace.”
The alternative is unthinkable. South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon, who met the prisoners in Ukraine, stated plainly that sending them back would constitute “a death sentence.” In response, South Korea’s foreign ministry has formally urged Ukraine to respect the soldiers’ wishes and not to forcibly repatriate them.
Their letter concludes with gratitude, framing their ordeal not as an end, but a beginning: “We firmly believe that we are never alone… [we thank you] for encouraging us and seeing this situation not as a tragedy but as the beginning of a new life.”
Their story is more than a diplomatic footnote. It is a stark reminder of the individuals caught within global conflicts, and a powerful testament to the enduring pull of a homeland they have never known, but now desperately hope to call home.
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