Mick Hartley

Russia is pressing for North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine to be returned to North Korea. But some of these unfortunates have made it clear they don’t want to go back: they want to go to South Korea. Repatriation would mean almost certain death.

Kang Dong Wan at the Daily NK reports from Kyiv:

The sky over Kyiv hung heavy and gray during the days I spent in Ukraine’s capital. Standing before the outer wall of a prisoner of war facility, our delegation pressed our hands against the cold concrete and wept. On the other side of that wall, two young North Korean soldiers — held under the pseudonyms Paekgang and Ri Kang-un — sat alone, far from home, uncertain why they had been sent to fight in a war they never chose.

Across Kyiv, I saw the wreckage of North Korean-made ballistic missiles and captured weapons. The evidence was undeniable: the tragedy of the Korean Peninsula is not a distant abstraction. These young men had been sent here as cannon fodder by a regime that showed no hesitation in spending their lives. And now, reports that Russia is pressing for the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war are making the situation more urgent by the day. We know all too well what awaits them if they are sent back. Facing punishment that can extend to three generations of family, the two prisoners have already attempted to injure themselves out of terror at the prospect of forced return….

The most significant outcome of our visit was a meeting with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, from which we received a firm verbal commitment: North Korean prisoners of war will not be forcibly repatriated. Ukrainian officials also expressed their deep respect for the defectors in our delegation, saying they “sincerely applaud the courage it took to cross the line and reach freedom.” The headquarters further proposed that its existing surrender-encouragement initiative — the “I Want to Live” project — be developed jointly with North Korean defector organizations going forward.

Our delegation did not stop there. We met with Ukrainian lawmakers, participated in civil society seminars, and visited the International Committee of the Red Cross, pressing every available channel to secure a path for the two young men to reach safety in a free, democratic country as soon as possible.

At Maidan Square — Independence Square — in the heart of Kyiv, thousands of small flags and faded photographs mark the graves of Ukrainians who died defending their country. Families stood there in silence, carrying out what I can only describe as the solemn duty of remembrance. Watching them, I felt in my bones that this war is not merely a contest over territory. It is a fight for human dignity — for freedom and human rights….