These North Korean Soldiers Didn’t Know They Were Fighting in Ukraine – Here’s What Happened

On Sunday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed details from an interrogation of a captured North Korean soldier. According to the NIS, the soldier arrived in Russia in November last year and underwent a week of military training before being sent to the front lines. He only realized he had been deployed after reaching Russian soil.

Responding to questions from the Seoul Economic Daily about reports of Ukrainian forces capturing two North Korean soldiers last week, the NIS explained, “The soldiers were captured while wounded on the Kursk front. They are currently in stable condition. They reported significant troop losses during combat and stated they were separated from their unit, going without food or water for 4-5 days before being captured.” The NIS also noted that it is closely collaborating with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) to share information regarding the captured North Korean soldiers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s western Kursk region. The SBU subsequently released footage of the captured soldiers, born in 2005 and 1999, with the younger soldier with a bandaged hand while the older one had a bandaged chin. Both were lying in hospital beds and drinking water through straws.

Intelligence reports indicate that the soldier born in 2005 has served as a rifleman since 2021, while the one born in 1999 has been a sniper reconnaissance officer since 2016. At the time of their capture, they reportedly possessed military identification from Russia’s Tuva Republic in southern Siberia. The Tuva Republic, an autonomous region of the Russian Federation northwest of Mongolia, has a population of approximately 80% of Mongolian descent, with physical features similar to Koreans.

The SBU reported that the soldiers had been transferred to Kyiv for interrogation. Due to their lack of proficiency in English, Russian, or Ukrainian, the questioning is being conducted with the assistance of a Korean interpreter in cooperation with South Korea’s intelligence agency. This collaboration has raised speculation about potential South Korean government involvement in the interrogation process.

The capture of these North Korean soldiers also raises complex questions about their legal status. If Russia acknowledges them as members of its military, they would be entitled to prisoner-of-war status under the Geneva Conventions and could be eligible for repatriation to Russia. However, if both Russia and North Korea deny their affiliation, the soldiers might be classified as unlawful combatants, potentially losing protections afforded to prisoners of war.