{"id":2389666,"date":"2025-01-13T13:28:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T18:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-korean-soldiers-unwilling-to-defect-after-capture-in-ukraine-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-13T13:29:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T18:29:12","slug":"north-korean-soldiers-unwilling-to-defect-after-capture-in-ukraine-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-korean-soldiers-unwilling-to-defect-after-capture-in-ukraine-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korean soldiers unwilling to defect after capture in Ukraine &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnorth-korean-soldiers-unwilling-to-defect-after-capture-in-ukraine-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2389666&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u200barticle discusses\u200c North Korean soldiers who have been captured \u2063in \u200cUkraine, revealing that\u2063 they\u200d are currently unwilling to defect\u200c from North Korea. During a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-foreign-affairs-to-question-state-department-on-iran-envoy-suspension-this-week-report\/\" title=\"House Foreign Affairs Committee will question the State Department regarding the suspension of Iran envoy this week, according to a report.\">closed-door\u2063 meeting<\/a>,\u2062 south Korea&#8217;s\u2062 National Intelligence Service \u200dreported that these soldiers have not \u200dexpressed a desire to\u200b leave\u2064 their home country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned \u2063that\u2063 Ukraine is prepared\u2064 to \u2064return the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/counting-their-final-hours-taliban-conducting-door-to-door-searches-for-u-s-allies-journalists-reports-say\/\" title=\"\u2018Counting Their Final Hours\u2019: Taliban Conducting \u2018Door To Door\u2019 Searches For U.S. Allies, Journalists, Reports Say\">captured soldiers<\/a> to North Korea in exchange for Ukrainian \u200cfighters held in\u200c Russia. Additionally,Zelensky indicated \u2064that North Korean \u2063soldiers \u200bwho wish to \u200bpromote \u200cpeace by sharing truthful narratives about the war may be provided with alternatives. The situation highlights the complex dynamics \u2063of \u2062wartime captures and the potential for further North\u2062 Korean soldiers to\u2064 be captured in\u2063 the ongoing conflict.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">North Korean soldiers unwilling to defect after capture in Ukraine<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1880784\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The soldiers of the Korean People&rsquo;s Army captured from the front lines of the war in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Ukraine<\/a> are, thus far, unwilling to defect from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-korea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">North Korea<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-korea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">South Korea<\/a>&lsquo;s National Intelligence Service recently addressed a closed-door meeting of the country&rsquo;s National Assembly, during which it reported that the North Korean prisoners had not expressed any wish to defect from their home country.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un&rsquo;s soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia,&rdquo; said Ukrainian President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/volodymyr-zelensky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a>. &ldquo;For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available. In particular, those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that opportunity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In addition to the first captured soldiers from North Korea, there will undoubtedly be more. It&rsquo;s only a matter of time before our troops manage to capture others. There should be no doubt left in the world that the Russian army is dependent on military assistance from North&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4RyCfUoHoC\">pic.twitter.com\/4RyCfUoHoC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy \/ &#1042;&#1086;&#1083;&#1086;&#1076;&#1080;&#1084;&#1080;&#1088; &#1047;&#1077;&#1083;&#1077;&#1085;&#1089;&#1100;&#1082;&#1080;&#1081; (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZelenskyyUa\/status\/1878502443077509588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Videos shared by Zelensky show North Korean soldiers captured by the nation&rsquo;s military and being subjected to interrogation.<\/p>\n<p>In one video, a North Korean soldier appears to tell Ukrainian interpreters that he did not know where he was and that his commander had told his company that they were undergoing special training.<\/p>\n<p>The soldier then tells the interrogator that he would prefer to stay in Ukraine rather than return to his own country, contradicting the reports of no willing defectors.<\/p>\n<p>The release of these videos, alongside photos and other documents recovered from soldiers, is so far the most comprehensive traunch of evidence that the Korean People&rsquo;s Army is aiding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Russian forces<\/a> in their invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine estimated that approximately 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed in the conflict, with an additional 2,700 injured.<\/p>\n<p>The South Korean National Intelligence Service said Korean People&rsquo;s Army personnel are encouraged to commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner.<\/p>\n<p>Zelensky has made similar claims, saying, &ldquo;Russian forces and other North Korean military personnel usually execute their wounded to erase any evidence of North Korea&rsquo;s involvement in the war against Ukraine.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The possibility for the soldiers to apply for asylum reportedly remains open but would trigger a headache-inducing amount of paperwork for government workers in South Korea, Ukraine, and elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Unification Ministry spokesman Koo Byoungsam told the <em>Associated Press<\/em> that &ldquo;legal reviews, including on international law, and consultations with related nations&rdquo; would be required to extend asylum to the former combatants.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If Kim Jong Un even remembers these citizens of his and is capable of organizing an exchange for our warriors being held in Russia, we are ready to transfer such soldiers. Undoubtedly there will be more POWs from North Korea,&rdquo; Zelensky said.<\/p>\n<p>Neither Russia nor North Korea has explicitly acknowledged the presence of the Korean People&rsquo;s Army in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, Russian President Vladimir Putin and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kim-jong-un\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un<\/a> have celebrated and strengthened their mutual defense agreements over the past year.<\/p>\n<p>It is widely feared by South Korean officials that Korean People&rsquo;s Army personnel are <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">gaining crucial combat experience<\/a> through their participation in the invasion, bolstering their military&rsquo;s capabilities in modern warfare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1880784\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1880784\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine refuse to defect<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2389667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25007728318346.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[22302,32109,4187],"class_list":["post-2389666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-defect","tag-north-korea","tag-soldiers"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AP25007728318346.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2389666"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2389670,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2389666\/revisions\/2389670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2389667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2389666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2389666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2389666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}