North Korean Army Not Included In Russian-Ukraine Prisoners Of War Exchange

JAKARTA - North Korean soldiers currently detained in Ukraine were not included in the recent exchange of war prisoners between Kyiv and Moscow, a South Korean lawmaker said on Tuesday.

DPR member Yu Yong-weon of the People's Power Party said the two detained North Korean soldiers, each surnamed Ri and Baek, were not included in the list of exchanged soldiers between Ukraine and Russia from Friday to Sunday, citing Ukrainian sources.

"(Ri) anticipates a tragic end for himself and his parents if he is repatriated to North Korea," Yu said, urging the South Korean government to make efforts so that they can return to South Korea.

Citing another source, Yu said they were not included in the latest exchange at Seoul's request to Kyiv, as the Ginseng Country was willing to accept them if they wanted to defect to the South. Between the two, Ri has expressed her intention to come to South Korea.

Yu met the two during his visit to Ukraine in February. In the audio footage released by members of parliament, Ri expressed concern over the possibility that her parents would be executed if she returned to North Korea in a prisoner swap.

It is known that Russia and Ukraine this month agreed to exchange 1,000 war prisoners on each side during talks in Istanbul. It raises the question whether the two North Koreans, captured by Ukrainian forces in January, could be part of the exchange.

Since October last year, North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to fight alongside Russian forces in the war in Ukraine.

Last April, North Korea confirmed it had sent its troops to fight on the Russian side to free Ukraine's occupied Kurks, after Russia had confirmed days earlier that North Korean troops were fighting with them.

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said on April 24, they had killed a unit consisting of 25 North Korean soldiers in Kursk. They released a video showing one of the soldiers killed and their property, which included records written in Korean.

North Korea is expected to send a total of 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements of substitute troops, Ukrainian officials said.

Due to the lack of armored vehicles and experience in unmanned aircraft warfare, they suffered many casualties but adapted quickly.

North Korea has also supplied weapons including artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles, South Korean officials said.