More than a year after Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, their fate remains uncertain, as activists accuse South Korea of distancing itself from the case. The situation highlights the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the ongoing conflict and the risks faced by individuals caught within them.
The two soldiers have requested to be relocated to South Korea, fearing severe punishment – potentially execution – if returned to North Korea. “I won’t survive. Everyone else committed suicide. I failed,” one of the soldiers reportedly told the South Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo.
The United Nations has also intervened, with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea stating in February that Ukraine should adhere to international protocol and not send prisoners of war to a location where they risk torture.
According to reports, one of the soldiers pleaded, “Please accept me. If not, I can do nothing.” Activists and North Korean defectors explain to DW that the North Korean military doctrine strictly prohibits surrender.
“The regime told its soldiers to commit suicide if they faced capture in Ukraine,” Kim Eujin, who fled North Korea as a teenager in the 1990s, told DW. “These two men didn’t follow those orders, and they didn’t die, even though they may have tried.”
“We don’t know how the regime will react to soldiers who didn’t follow the order to kill themselves rather than be captured, because this has never happened before,” Kim continued. “But I assume they will be considered traitors, and not just them – their families will also be punished.”
Retaliation Against Defectors Could Last Generations
The soldiers reportedly stated they weren’t afraid of combat in Ukraine, but feared repercussions for their families if captured alive, due to the Pyongyang-instilled doctrine: “A defector brings punishment to three generations.”
“Historically, during and after the Korean War, returning prisoners of war were subjected to forced labor and classified as hostile elements,” Peter Oh of the Korean Freedom Association, which assists North Korean refugees in the United States, told DW.
“These detainees likely fear similar consequences if they return,” Oh noted. “There could be repercussions against their families as well. Though it’s also possible the North Korean government won’t take extreme measures against them to avoid international scrutiny.”
Is South Korea Hesitant to Anger Pyongyang?
Article 3 of the South Korean Constitution still considers North Koreans citizens of the South and allows them to reside there. However, more than a year has passed since the two soldiers were detained, and the South Korean government appears reluctant to accept them.
“The delay is due to the complex legal and international diplomatic entanglements involving Ukraine, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea,” Oh explained. “Although the South Korean government has expressed general interest, it has not taken direct action, likely due to the sensitive geopolitical implications.”
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung appears eager to improve relations with Pyongyang, Oh said, referencing Article 4 of the South Korean Constitution, which focuses on “peaceful relations with the North.” “Our position is that, regardless of constitutional interpretation, the soldiers have the right to seek asylum in South Korea or a third country according to their free will,” he stated.
“I Don’t Think They’re Trying Hard Enough”
Talks between Seoul and Kyiv regarding the soldiers’ fate appear stalled. On February 9, 2026, the Korean Institute for National Unification published a report stating that “direct communication between the leaders of South Korea and Ukraine is essential” to break the impasse. Without an agreement, Ukraine could be forced to hand the men over to Russia.
North Korea has not publicly commented on the two prisoners of war in Ukraine, though behind-the-scenes conversations may have taken place.
In the opinion of North Korean exile Kim Eujin, there is nothing preventing Ukraine from releasing the men, and “nothing in international law” preventing them from traveling to South Korea. “They keep saying it’s a ‘complicated issue,’ but I don’t think they’re trying hard enough,” she commented.
“President Lee, the Ministry of Unification, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seem more concerned about not upsetting Kim Jong-un than about bringing these men to South Korea,” she observed. “If it were just about their human rights, they would already be here. It’s almost as if the government is looking for excuses for them not to come.”
(rml/ms)
