A video released last week shows Ukrainian authorities interrogating two North Korean soldiers captured in the Kursk region of Russia. In the video, one of the soldiers expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine; a statement that could be deemed treasonous in North Korea and severely punished.
If returned to North Korea, this soldier risks enforced disappearance, torture, wrongful imprisonment, forced labor, or execution for disobeying orders or attempting desertion. His family there is already at risk of retaliation.
According to United States estimates, these soldiers are among at least 10,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia by Pyongyang since October. Media reports say many of these soldiers, initially assigned to trench-digging and logistical support, have been pushed into combat, facing high casualty rates.
The deployment of North Korean soldiers, which Pyongyang reportedly sent in exchange for technology related to Russia’s nuclear and weapons programs, as well as oil, underscores the North Korean government’s broader pattern of exploiting its citizens to sustain militarization and totalitarian control.
One of the soldiers in the video said he believed his deployment was for training, not warfare. North Korean conscription stipulates mandatory military service for up to 10 years starting at age 17, leaving young soldiers with little agency over their fate.
Reports suggest that North Korean soldiers are executed by their comrades when injured. Ukraine’s special-operations unit has reportedly uncovered letters and notes from fallen troops, revealing the harsh realities of their deployment, including instructions to die by suicide rather than face capture.
The Third Geneva Convention governs the treatment of prisoners of war (POWs), requiring humane treatment at all times, including protection from violence, public humiliation, or insult. Article 13 mandates safeguarding POWs from insults and public curiosity, raising concerns about publicized footage and information about the captured soldiers.
Ukraine cooperates with the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other organizations to ensure POWs receive humane treatment in line with international humanitarian standards. Authorities should continue to uphold these protections and undertake not to forcibly repatriate POWs to countries like North Korea, when they face a real risk of serious rights violations. This aligns with the principle of nonrefoulement, which prohibits repatriating individuals to countries where they risk persecution or torture.
Ukraine and governments around the world should ensure these soldiers are informed of their rights, treated with dignity, and protected from forced repatriation if they face serious rights violations, in alignment with the principles of international humanitarian and human rights law.