Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces have expressed their desire to defect and begin a new life in South Korea.
According to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report on Wednesday, the soldiers sent a handwritten letter to a South Korean civic group, saying that with the support of the Korean people, new dreams and aspirations had begun to take root in them. They expressed gratitude for the encouragement they received and for viewing their situation not as a tragedy, but as the beginning of a new life.
They added that they firmly believe they are not alone and said they decided to reach out to South Korea, regarding people there as parents and siblings.
The letter, bearing the signatures of both soldiers, was delivered to the North Korean defector support group, the Korean Unification Federation, through documentary filmmaker Kim Young Mi, who specializes in conflict reporting.
The two men are believed to be North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting on the Kursk front in Russia last January. Their existence first became known internationally after Ukrainian authorities released their personal information and interrogation footage.
AFP said this was the first time the two soldiers had jointly expressed their intention to defect in writing.
Previously, filmmaker Kim Young Mi reported that both soldiers had expressed their desire to defect to South Korea when she met them in Ukraine last October.
During a visit to Ukraine in March, South Korean lawmaker Yoo Yong Won reported that only one soldier had expressed a desire to defect, while the other was still considering the option.
It is estimated that North Korea deployed over 15,000 troops to Russia, including more than 11,000 sent last October. In April, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly that the estimated casualties among the deployed North Korean soldiers totaled around 4,700, including approximately 600 killed in action.
While the South Korean government has expressed willingness to accept the defecting North Korean soldiers, significant progress in discussions with the Ukrainian government regarding their situation has yet to be made.