Seoul’s spy agency says North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine haven’t shown desire to defect

South Korea's intelligence agency told lawmakers on Monday that two North Korean soldiers, captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting alongside Russian troops in the Kursk border region, have not expressed a desire to seek asylum in South Korea. This news has raised concerns about the future whereabouts of these soldiers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he is willing to hand over the two North Korean soldiers to North Korea if North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arranges an exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia. Zelenskyy also revealed that one of the North Korean soldiers wants to stay in Ukraine, while the other wants to return to North Korea, which aligns with interview videos released by the Ukrainian government. "If Kim Jong-un remembers these citizens of his and is able to organize the exchange of our warriors who are in Russia, we are ready to hand over these soldiers. There will be more North Korean prisoners of war in the future, no doubt," Zelenskyy said in his address on Sunday evening. He also indicated on social media platform X that "there may be other options for those North Korean prisoners of war who do not want to return."

During a closed-door briefing at the South Korean National Assembly, the South Korean National Intelligence Service confirmed that they participated in the Ukrainian authorities' interrogation of the North Korean soldiers. According to two lawmakers who attended the meeting, the agency stated that the soldiers have not expressed a request to settle in South Korea. The intelligence agency also said that if the soldiers do eventually request to go to South Korea, they are willing to discuss the matter with Ukrainian authorities. Since the late 1990s, approximately 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea, their capitalist rival, to escape economic hardship and political oppression at home.

Koo Byung-sam, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, stated that providing asylum to the North Korean soldiers requires "legal reviews, including international law, as well as consultations with relevant countries." "At this stage, we have nothing to say," Koo said. Seoul has stated that approximately 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed in combat. South Korean intelligence agencies believe that around 300 North Korean soldiers have died in fighting against Ukrainian forces, with another 2,700 wounded. This marks North Korea's first large-scale involvement in a conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War.

Intelligence agency assessments suggest that North Korean soldiers are struggling to adapt to drones and other elements of modern warfare. According to lawmaker Lee Sung-kun, who attended the intelligence agency briefing, they are also at a disadvantage due to the rough tactics of Russian commanders, who send them into assault operations without providing rear fire support. The intelligence agency stated that memos found on deceased North Korean soldiers indicated they were ordered to commit suicide before being captured. According to the intelligence agency, one North Korean soldier, facing the threat of being captured by Ukrainian forces, shouted "General Kim Jong-un" and attempted to detonate a grenade, before being killed.

Zelenskyy confirmed the capture of the North Korean soldiers on Saturday. This came days after Ukraine, facing a slow Russian advance in the east, launched a new attack in Kursk to retain territory captured in a lightning invasion in August – the first time Russian territory had been occupied since World War II. Moscow’s counteroffensive has exhausted and demoralized Ukrainian forces, causing thousands of casualties and reclaiming over 40% of the 984 square kilometers (380 square miles) of Kursk occupied by Ukraine.

Moon Seong-muk, a retired South Korean brigadier general, stated that the high mortality rate among North Korean soldiers was predictable because they were not adequately prepared for the unfamiliar mission in the Kursk region, where the terrain is vastly different from North Korea’s mountainous landscape. Moon also pointed out another disadvantage for the North Korean soldiers: they are not operating independently but are thrown into battle under the command of Russian commanders, potentially struggling to adapt to unfamiliar tactics and communication issues due to language barriers. He also stated that North Korean units might be operating special surveillance teams to arrest or execute soldiers attempting to flee.

“The current battlefield environment, coupled with drones and other technology, has created a situation that North Korean soldiers have never encountered. They are also being deployed in large numbers in open fields, where there is nowhere to hide, in an ongoing effort to retake the region, which seems to be the source of casualties,” Moon said. He also stated that North Korea’s decades-long financial struggles, which force many soldiers to grow their own food or spend extended deployments in construction and other work to sustain the national economy, may also affect the quality of training they receive at home.

Despite this, Seoul remains concerned that North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine crisis poses a significant threat to South Korea, as North Korean forces may gain crucial combat experience, and Russia may provide technology transfers, thereby enhancing North Korea’s nuclear-armed military.