Deployment of North Korean Soldiers

The announcement of the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia brought a new dimension to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. According to Nikkei Asia 10,000 North Korean soldiers are said to be currently deployed. Evaluations of conversations with North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine have shown that they themselves have become victims of the war. According to media reports, they are said not to have known that they were being sent to war zones.

As Russia and Ukraine engage in discussions around a potential ceasefire, it is crucial to ensure that all parties affected by the conflict are included in negotiations – among them the North Korean soldiers forcibly dispatched to fight. These individuals, sent by the North Korean regime under coercion, face extreme dangers on the battlefield, inhumane treatment, and possible repatriation to North Korea, where they risk severe punishment or even execution.

With little international attention on their plight, this event aims to raise awareness of the forced deployment of North Korean soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine war and discuss legal and policy mechanisms necessary to protect them under international law. Furthermore, we would like to discuss the interests of the North Korean regime in deploying troops to the war in Ukraine.

Through firsthand accounts from former North Korean military personnel, defectors and insights from experts, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the conditions North Korean soldiers endure and the dangers they face. The event will also present policy recommendations on how to advocate for their rights during ceasefire discussions and beyond. By fostering collaboration among human rights organizations, policymakers, and activists, we aim to increase international advocacy efforts, submit actionable policy recommendations to relevant international bodies such as the UN and humanitarian organizations, and strengthen ongoing efforts to address North Korean human rights violations.

With:

• Hanna Song, Executive Director The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) 
• Kang Ryongrim, former North Korean soldier and defector
• Choi Jinmyeong, former North Korean student and defector

Contact: 
Rafael Klabisch
E rafael.klabisch@boell.de
T +49 (0)30 28534-357

Your Participation in the event

» Participation on site
at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance. Unfortunately, the number of seats for this event are limited. If we are at capacity, the conversation will be transmitted via video to other rooms.