“Choose Life, Surrender”: Ukraine Addresses North Korean Soldiers Fighting for Russia

Ukraine reached out to North Korean soldiers being sent to support Russia’s war effort, urging them to avoid the fate of Russian troops and surrender, a video, released by “I Want to Live” project shows on October 22.

The “I Want to Live” project, a Ukrainian government initiative aimed at encouraging Russian soldiers to surrender, issued a message to North Korean military personnel:

“It doesn’t matter how many soldiers Pyongyang sends to aid Russia, or to which front they are deployed—Ukrainian prisoner-of-war camps are ready to receive soldiers of any nationality, religion, or ideological belief.”

The program ensures that soldiers who surrender will be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

Additionally, individuals who voluntarily surrender will not be exchanged or returned to Russia unless they explicitly choose to do so.

Earlier, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate said that the first North Korean troops are expected to arrive in Russia’s Kursk region on October 23, marking their deployment to the frontline in Ukraine.