Human Rights Groups Call for Refuge for North Korean POWs in Ukraine

Human rights groups are urging Ukraine to allow captured North Korean soldiers to seek refuge in South Korea. The appeal follows Ukraine’s capture of soldiers who may face execution if repatriated. The conflict sees North Koreans fighting alongside Russian troops, marking a significant military engagement since the Korean War, yet it raises severe humanitarian and legal concerns regarding the treatment of POWs.

Human rights organizations are appealing to Ukraine to permit captured North Korean soldiers to seek asylum in South Korea, fearing they may face execution if returned to their homeland. In a letter addressed to Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul, these groups emphasized that repatriating these prisoners would likely result in severe punishment or even death due to the oppressive regime they would return to.

This warning comes in light of Ukraine’s recent capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January. Although President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed the idea of exchanging these soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, activists caution that this action would constitute a violation of Article 45 of the Geneva Convention, which strictly prohibits the forced repatriation of individuals at risk of persecution.

Intelligence assessments reveal that North Korea has dispatched between 10,000 and 12,000 troops to Russia since 2024, which marks its largest overseas military contribution since the Korean War. This deployment signals a notable bond between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, solidified during their June 2024 summit that resulted in a mutual assistance agreement.

North Korean forces, primarily functioning as light infantry, are embedded within Russian military units, utilizing forged identification documents to conceal their origins. These soldiers primarily assume defensive positions and engage in trench warfare, with high-ranking North Korean officials overseeing operations from the rear. Three North Korean generals, including special forces leader Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, have been identified as pivotal to these military efforts by Ukrainian intelligence.

Casualty reports depict substantial combat losses, with Ukrainian intelligence estimating deaths and injuries exceeding 3,000 North Korean soldiers, representing approximately 40% of their initial military deployment, by January 2025. Following a brief hiatus from active combat, North Korea evidently sent a secondary contingent of 3,500 soldiers for training in Russia’s Far East.

In exchange for military assistance, North Korea is receiving significant economic benefits. The Russian government has notably augmented its oil and commodity exports to Pyongyang, and a South Korean intelligence-linked think tank estimated that North Korea garnered approximately $540 million from arms sales in 2023, primarily to Russia.

Furthermore, the Institute for the Study of War posits that North Korea regards the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a critical opportunity to evaluate its military capabilities against Western armaments, thereby acquiring practical combat experience. This alliance may also reinforce North Korea’s anti-Western stance and influence strategic circumstances on the Korean Peninsula.

Such military collaboration contravenes U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, which forbids North Korea from selling military resources or personnel. Consequently, this unauthorized deployment has resulted in global condemnation and heightened sanctions from both the United States and South Korea.

Human rights advocates suggest that permitting North Korean POWs to defect could deter North Korean troops from supporting Russia, as this might encourage more soldiers to surrender. South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-weon, who visited Ukraine in February, noted that one of the captured soldiers expressed a desire to defect, while the other remained uncertain about their decision.

In conclusion, the advocacy from human rights organizations for North Korean POWs to seek refuge in South Korea highlights critical humanitarian concerns in light of their potential fate upon repatriation. Ukraine’s military engagement with North Korean forces underscores a complex geopolitical dynamic involving North Korea’s military assistance to Russia amidst increasing casualties and international condemnation. The appeal to enable defection may serve both humanitarian purposes and strategic implications for the ongoing conflict’s impact on North Korean military support for Russia.

Original Source: www.dailynk.com