A group of nearly 200 ex-North Korean soldiers, now living in South Korea, have volunteered to be deployed in Ukraine to help demoralize and influence North Korean troops fighting on Russia’s side. Reports from Kyiv, Seoul, and Western countries accuse North Korea of sending thousands of troops to aid Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine. It is believed that Moscow is preparing to deploy 12,000 North Korean soldiers to boost its war efforts, with the first batch potentially being sent to Kursk Oblast, a Russian border region partially controlled by Ukrainian forces. In response, the group of North Korean defectors is offering their experience with the North Korean military to wage psychological warfare against Moscow’s allies, hoping to impact the morale of North Korean troops.
The initiative, led by key figures like Lee Min-bok and Ahn Chan-il, aims to leverage their understanding of North Korea’s military culture and psychological state to act as psychological warfare agents in Ukraine. They plan to use tactics such as loudspeaker broadcasts, distributing leaflets, and acting as interpreters to influence North Korean soldiers on the ground. The volunteers believe that their presence in Ukraine could provide hope and courage to North Korean troops, potentially inspiring them to seek freedom by crossing over. This effort comes as Russia has employed mass infantry attacks in Ukraine, resulting in high casualty rates and prompting the Kremlin to seek fresh manpower from sources like convicts, migrant workers, and North Korean allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin indirectly acknowledged the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia in response to claims backed by satellite imagery. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry stated that any decision to send troops to Russia would comply with international law but did not confirm the reports explicitly. The situation has led South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to consider reviewing the country’s ban on supplying lethal arms to Ukraine, citing concerns over “North Korean military activities.” Tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul have been escalating in parallel to Russia’s war in Ukraine, with North Korea recently declaring South Korea a hostile state and destroying major roads connecting the two parts of the peninsula. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine warned that North Korean troops may appear fighting alongside Russian forces in the upcoming days.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has referred the issue of North Korean soldiers volunteering to be deployed in Ukraine to the Unification Ministry, which has not yet commented on the matter. However, South Korea has hinted at the possibility of changing its laws prohibiting the export of weapons to active conflict zones, given the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. The presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia has raised concerns internationally, with countries like Ukraine and South Korea closely monitoring the situation and considering their responses. As the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate, the involvement of North Korean troops adds a new layer of complexity to an already volatile situation in the region.
