NIS Confirms 'Capture of North Korean Soldier'... Will South Korea Participate in Interrogation?

Attention Also on Whether Review Will Be Conducted When Requesting Defection

Our intelligence authorities have confirmed for the first time that a North Korean soldier deployed to the Russian battlefield has been captured alive.

The National Intelligence Service stated on the 27th, "Through real-time information sharing with allied intelligence agencies, we have confirmed that one injured North Korean soldier was captured alive," adding, "We plan to closely monitor the subsequent situation."

Photo of a suspected North Korean soldier prisoner released by the Ukrainian special forces. Telegram capture

Earlier, the Ukrainian military specialist media outlet Military reported that the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) captured a North Korean soldier during an operation in the Kursk region of Russia and released a photo of the soldier via Telegram. This is the first confirmation of a North Korean soldier deployed in the Ukraine war being captured alive.

North Korea has deployed approximately 11,000 soldiers to Russia, most of whom were stationed in the Kursk region, which is occupied by Ukraine. They have recently been actively deployed to the front lines, and due to their unfamiliarity with new weapons such as drone attacks, it is understood that many casualties, including high-ranking officers, have occurred.

With the confirmation of a North Korean prisoner of war, attention is focused on whether the South Korean government will participate in procedures such as interrogation.

At the National Assembly Intelligence Committee’s inspection in October, the National Intelligence Service reportedly responded positively to the suggestion that "if North Korean soldiers are captured or surrender, we would need personnel on our side to communicate with them." Accordingly, it is expected that the possibility of accepting a North Korean prisoner’s request to defect will also be considered.

Regarding the response to a defection request from North Korean soldiers, the National Intelligence Service said, "According to international law and domestic law, it is naturally a situation where our country must accept them," adding, "Since there are parts influenced by North Korean authorities, careful consideration is needed, but the individual's will must be respected, and defection requests should be reviewed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.