Since fall 2024, North Korean troops have been reported fighting in Russia and in Ukraine, signifying both a deepening in Moscow-Pyongyang relationships and a further step in the internationalization of the conflict. The implications of North Korea’s direct participation in the war are far greater than a symbol of the two countries’ friendship. The events leading to and stemming from the sending of troops are multiple and interconnected: from the signature of a mutual defense treaty last June, to Ukraine’s offensive in the Russian region of Kursk in August, to the undetermined fate of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) currently in Ukraine, the voluntary actions of Pyongyang and Moscow bring us back to a pre-World War II international order and disregard the law of armed conflict. Many consequences of the North Korean participation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine are tied to breaches of international law, but the human repercussions are just as alarming. As we discover through the testimonies of the very few survivors of the North Korean troops found thousands of kilometers away from their country, the dignity of these soldiers, their unlawful transport and presence, as well as the fate of those captured should be part of the debate.
The Euroculturer 