Mr. Rimo from Ukraporo "I really want to go to Han"... Mr. Baekmo also changes his mind

"Special Measures Needed by the Government to Prevent Forced Repatriation to North Korea"

Rimo (26), a North Korean soldier captured by the Ukrainian military, is reported to have clearly expressed his intention to defect.

According to Yoo Yong-won, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee from the People Power Party, Rimo recently told him in a meeting, "I definitely want to go to South Korea," and "I want to go to meet my parents in the future." Yoo visited Ukraine for a 3-night, 4-day trip from the 23rd to the 26th of last month.

Yoo Yong-won, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee from the People Power Party, is meeting with a North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine. Photo by Yoo Yong-won’s office

Born in 1999 and a sniper, Rimo had previously stated in an interview with Chosun Ilbo that he was 80% decided to defect, and now he has expressed his intention to defect even more clearly.

Rimo also raised realistic concerns about going to South Korea, saying, "If I go to South Korea, will I be able to exercise the rights I hope for? Like having a house I need and building a family there..." and "If I go (to South Korea) in the future, I will have to start a family. Since I am from North Korea and a prisoner of war, wouldn't it be too difficult for me to start a family?" Yoo relayed these thoughts.

Another prisoner of war, Baek Mo (20), also seems to have shown some emotional changes regarding defection. Baek said in a meeting with Yoo, "I think I am starting to make up my mind," adding, "I need to think about it a little more."

Regarding this, Yoo emphasized, "I hope all efforts will be made to prevent the unfortunate event of North Korean soldiers captured as prisoners of war in Ukraine from being forcibly repatriated to North Korea," and stated, "Their repatriation to their home country is practically a death sentence, and even as North Korean prisoners of war, they must be protected as citizens of the Republic of Korea under the Constitution."

He also said, "Amid active movements regarding the armistice negotiations, the government should take faster and more special measures so that our intention not to repatriate North Korean soldiers who have expressed their will to defect is not overlooked at the table discussing prisoner of war issues," and added, "I hope that Representative Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party of Korea will no longer ignore the issue of repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war and will devote more active interest and efforts."

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