‘Don’t Die for Kim Jong Un’: South Korean Fighter Calls on North Koreans to Surrender

A South Korean man, claiming to have fought alongside Ukrainian forces for three years, has released a video urging North Korean troops deployed to Russia to surrender.

Kyiv Post reported on Thursday that a pro-Ukrainian international group, InformNapalm, shared the video message on its Telegram channel on Tuesday. A man, his face concealed by a brown hat and mask, addressed the camera in Korean with a Seoul accent.

In the 1-minute and 40-second video, a man who introduced himself as a “South Korean national” stated that he voluntarily enlisted in the Ukrainian military and had been fighting against Russia for three years. He criticized the North Korean regime, “Kim Jong-un, his family, and a select group of wealthy individuals continue to lead luxurious lives while ordinary North Korean citizens suffer from cold and hunger.”

“You’re being sacrificed for their agenda,” he emphasized. “There’s no reason for you to live in fear, cold, or hunger. You have the freedom and right to shape your own destiny.”

The man directly addressed North Korean soldiers, providing specific instructions on how to surrender: “Lay down their weapons and raise their hands to signal your intent to surrender upon encountering Ukrainian forces. We can provide food, shelter, money, employment, and even offer opportunities for asylum in other countries if desired.”

He implored the North Korean troops, “Don’t become slaves to Kim Jong Un. Choose the path of liberation for your freedom.”

The video is reportedly filmed in front of a Humvee (HMMWV) equipped with a turret operated by the Ukrainian military. However, whether the man is a South Korean mercenary actively engaged on the Ukrainian battlefield has not been confirmed.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced in March that fifteen South Koreans had participated in the war in Ukraine on the Ukrainian side, with five reported killed. However, the South Korean government has not officially confirmed this claim.

Participation in volunteer military activities in Ukraine is punishable under South Korean Law. In March 2022, a former Navy Special Warfare officer, Lee Geun, departed for Ukraine to join the “Territorial Defense International Legion.” He was prosecuted for violating the Passport Act and sentenced to one year and six months in prison in August last year. The sentence was suspended for three years in the first trial.