Two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine earlier this year have expressed their desire to defect to South Korea. However, the repatriation process has stalled for a year.
As talks between South Korean and Ukrainian officials have made little progress, domestic and international non-profit organizations (NGOs) have stepped in. Yet, with the war ongoing, experts predict that negotiations for their return will require more time, as reported on Wednesday.
News1 reports that the North Korean defector organization Korea Unity Coalition has recently appointed a local lawyer for the North Korean soldiers detained in Ukraine, collaborating with international NGOs.
This lawyer plans to meet with Ukrainian Defense Ministry officials this week to begin discussions on registering the North Korean soldiers as protected persons with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Jang Se-yul, representative of the Korea Unity Coalition, stated that while official discussions for repatriation are ongoing, the role of international organizations like the United Nations (UN) and ICRC is crucial. They’re continuing to cooperate with local organizations at the civilian level to facilitate this process.
On December 24, Jang publicly released handwritten letters from the North Korean soldiers to South Korean media for the first time. In these letters, the soldiers wrote that they consider the people in South Korea as its true parents and siblings, and it has decided to join them, reaffirming their intention to seek asylum in South Korea.
The soldiers reportedly penned these letters after receiving messages of support, including letters and North Korean food, from defector organizations like the Korea Unity Coalition.
While diplomatic negotiations between authorities are crucial, both countries remain cautious due to the complex international situation.
The two North Korean soldiers were deployed to the intense Battle of Kursk on the Russia-Ukraine border as part of Russia’s military assistance. They were captured by Ukrainian forces in January of this year.
Ukrainian authorities promptly disclosed the soldiers’ identities and interrogation footage on X (formerly Twitter), bringing their situation to global attention.
In March, one soldier expressed his desire to defect to South Korea. After careful consideration, the second soldier also confirmed his intention to defect in October, solidifying their wish to relocate to South Korea.
The North Korean soldiers currently hold a unique legal status as both prisoners of war under international law and South Korean citizens under domestic law. Consequently, diplomatic negotiations between the South Korean government and Ukrainian authorities are paramount for their repatriation.
Experts argue that the South Korean government must actively pursue plans to bring them to South Korea, citing their status as citizens under the South Korean Constitution and their refusal to be repatriated to North Korea.
The government is conducting unofficial negotiations through intelligence agencies and diplomatic channels. However, with peace talks between Russia and Ukraine at a standstill, the issue of the soldiers’ custody remains unresolved.
Additionally, President Lee Jae Myung’s administration, which seeks to improve inter-Korean relations, may face challenges regarding the public repatriation of the North Korean soldiers.
As a result, the government is carefully exploring various options while continuing discussions with civilian organizations.
On December 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with representatives from domestic defector organizations and former lawmaker Tae Yong-ho, who chairs the Emergency Response Committee for the Release of North Korean Soldiers in Ukraine, to discuss repatriation issues.
A government official noted that the ongoing instability in Ukraine’s peace negotiations makes it difficult to expedite the prisoner repatriation process. They are in discussions with defector and human rights organizations that have requested its cooperation to explore all possible avenues.